Who Knew?
by AlKerr
Summary: Sex. Drugs. Alcohol. It was all Rose Hathaway knew, until one wild night when her life changed forever. Now, living with her strict, controlling father, Rose is trying to escape a cocky Russian womanizer who is set on opening her tragic past. OOC/AH
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, so I guess this is my second fanfic. I've had this idea playing about my head for a while so I decided to write it (:**

**summary: Rose had been in some bad shit, so her mother kicked her out to live with her father, who she happens to hate. Moving to a new school without the freedom she used to have is hard, and making it worse is a certain Russian badboy who just loves making her life a mess. He can see through her like no one else can... what will that lead to?**

**Yeah, Extreme OOC in this people. Just a little warning!**

**anyway, I'm still debating on whether or not to continue this story, so review and let me know (:**

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Chapter one- **_Welcome to hell, Rose._

**"You can't run away from trouble. There ain't no place that far. " ~Uncle Remus**

I guess you could say that my mother and I had never really gotten along.

But _never_ in a million years, did I think she would do this to me. Ever. She knew how I felt, how I felt about _him. _That didn't matter to her, and just because I made _one _stupid mistake, she'd shipped me off to L.A from New York. She didn't care that I despised my father, she didn't care that he would _control _me, she just didn't care. End of story.

Ibrahim Mazur had to be the most _disgusting, vile _man I had ever met. He was controlling, manipulative and complete crude, manner less oaf. I think it is quite realistic when I say I despise every inch of him and he practically makes me want to sick.

So here I lie, wide awake and exhausted. Sleep hadn't come to me, and so like the past two days, I stare at the white ceiling, like it's was my vocal point of strength. Again and again, my mind zoomed back to my mother, who was probably having the time of her life in New York, now she was rid of me. Did she know how I was feeling? She probably did, I highly doubted she even cared.

I had done some pretty bad things. Drugs, sex, alcohol, stealing and sometimes I'd disappear for days at a time. I guessed I deserved everything that my father gave me. He never hit me, or anything like that at all, he didn't need to. His patronizing tone, how I knew that he just _hated _me, the fact that he had total power of me, made me want to scream.

"Rosemarie?" There was a soft knock at my bedroom door. I had my own room, which was the complete opposite of my old home. My mother had married into a large family, and her new husband had four children, all girls. I had to share my room with a vile, horrible girl, and if there was one good thing, about moving away from New York, it was that I no longer had to look at that tramp.

"What?" I snapped, throwing my blankets over my head. I may have been acting like a child, but over the past few days, a lot had changed. I went from being a kickass teenager roaming the streets of New York, to a complete nerd, controlled by her father.

"Your father asked me to hurry you." Holly's sweet voice rippled through the closed door. "You're going to be late to your first day of school."

I groaned in desperation and I felt like I was about to burst into tears. Yay. I was so excited to start a totally new school in the middle of the semester! Not really, that was bullshit. The truth was that I'd rather poke my eyes out with a fork, than start this new school which would no doubt have fake blondes, tanned girls and bitches to top that all off. I tried to remember that there could possibly be hot guys, but in my mood? I don't think I could attract a mosquito.

Plus, one of Abe's many rules was under no circumstances was I to date or 'fool around' with any guys without his consent. I also wasn't allowed to drive to school or back from school incase I went 'loitering'. Those rules, I could live with, because they were easy to break, but the next one send me into shock.

Abe had to choose my clothes.

I climb out of bed to see my 'first day of school' outfit, and I almost puke all over it. I guess it would be nice to a stuck up, preppy girly girl, but that wasn't me. I was the type of girl who liked to make a scene, who loved the colors black and red together and was _always _the center of attention, be it a party or Sunday mass.

This just made me look like a stuck up, girly brat. My hand ran over the camisole, and I felt the soft texture beneath my fingers. It was more than known that Abe was rolling in money, I mean; you'd like to think so, considering he owned his own company. He took pride in calling himself the CEO of _Mazur Industries._

I groaned and looked over my clothes hanging on the door of my huge, white closet. The closet itself was gorgeous. I could walk into it and it was like an actual room. It was HUGE and it was filled with millions of clothes, but Abe _insisted _I wore this.

The cami was white with little pink, blue and yellow flowers all over it. It looked tight fitting, and I guess that was okay, at least people could see my curves. My eyes skim down to the white skinny jeans, and I guess they were hot too, they looked tight fitting as well and I had to admit, I didn't think Abe would let me wear something like this. My eyes looked further down to the high heels on the floor. Wow. They were hot... well, apart from the color. They were opened toe stilettos and they were a light peachy pink color.

Next to my clothes, was a vanity table. On it was my pink purse for school, a pair of pink rose earrings, pink perfume, pink and blue bracelets and a pink iPod. I picked the iPod up, knowing that not one band I liked would be on it.

Yup. Nothing I liked. All the songs belonged to either fucking Glee or Britney Spears. Seriously. No Doors, no All Time Low, no Linkin Park, no Nirvana. Glee and fucking Britney Spears. I wanted to be sick.

I guess you could say my outfit was hot... if it was a fucking different color. The many splashing pinks made me want to poke my eyes out. I had no choice, I Knew Abe's rules.

If I stepped out of line once, he was disowning me and I would have no where to go.

So here I was, obeying his rules, something I don't think I'd ever done before. I sighed taking the clothes from the hanger to put them on me. The cami did make my curves stand out, as did the skinny jeans, the high heels made me look taller and yeah, okay I looked hot... but not as hot as I usually was with my amazing hair, fuckable makeup and red or black clothes.

Now I just looked stuck up.

Urgh, at this moment I didn't think I wanted to kill my mother more. She'd done some bad things herself once, I mean, she'd been into drugs and guys when she was younger!

I guess what I done was far worse. I had been out with my best friend Mia when we had gotten into some trouble. Well, long story short, I had stabbed some guy and then I was pressed with six assault charges for kicking the shit out of the police man who tried to arrest me.

I was put in the cell over night, because I was under the age of eighteen I was going to be put into an all girls juvee, but of course, my _well respected, rich _father bailed me out and my mother said she never wanted to look or speak to me again. I guess I could have had a worse punishment, but I explained that when I stabbed the guy, it was for nothing more than self defense. Just because I was drunk at the time, my mom didn't believe me. Figures.

I tried to explain that life was about mistakes... but she was having none of it.

So I curled my hair, and it was just the way I liked it... messy and sexy. Unfortunately, Abe took away my makeup, according to him, makeup made young girls look disgusting and horrible. Also, it was a bad influence.

In his own words he said, "_Make up is a mask, you should not hide behind it. You are my daughter and I will not tolerate weakness or hiding._"

Prick, huh?

So I walk out of my bedroom, leaving my retarded excuse for an iPod behind. My father owned on of the largest houses on the west side of LA. Literally, only about ten minutes away, was a huge beach filled with white sand, which went on for miles. I found myself getting lost in the long, marble hallways filled with rare, exquisite art.

The statue at the end of the hall looked familiar, but I didn't know what direction to turn in. Thankfully, I saw a little petite woman, roughly around the same age as me. She was Romanian, and I knew this because she was the girl who had helped me put away my stuff.

Well, if you called it stuff, the only thing I was allowed to bring was my pajamas.

I walked closer to the small girl, her dark brown hair was pulled into a tight bun, and she too, didn't wear any makeup. I knew that all the maids and cooks could go home if they wanted but I also knew that a lot of them decided to stay here, on the very top floor, which my father called the Servant's headquarters. He was such a fucking ass wipe.

"Hey? Catina, isn't it?" I asked, stepping forward.

"Good morning, ma'am." The little girl said, her eyes a blazing green. "No, ma'am, I am Corina."

"Oh... okay then." I said, leaning against the mahogany walls. This house was like a labyrinth, it would take me ages to figure out were to go. About the millionth time being in this house, I wished I was back in my penthouse apartment in Brooklyn, New York. "Can you tell me where Abe is?"

Corina tightened the small duster in her hand and she nodded her head. "Yes, Corina can show you Ma'am."

I knew that Corina wasn't that good at English, and her accent was hard to understand, but I followed her petite body as she bobbled away from me. I lost sight of her when she walked around the corner. I picked up my speed and followed her, walking into a huge hallway, and the walls were made of glass.

Looking out the windows, I could see the whole of LA, Abe's huge pool and enormous garden and three cars parked out side the garage. Around the perimeter of the house, there was a huge stone wall, and a huge iron gate. I knew this was to keep Abe's guard dogs in. They wouldn't harm us, but if any intruders came in? They were fucked.

"So..." I said, trying to break the silence, "How long have you worked for my dad?"

"Oh not long, Mister Ibrahim is a very generous man, very generous." She said. It was clear that she worshipped Abe.

I didn't want to comment. Seriously, how could she even consider that Abe was a good man? He was the most fucking sorry excuse for a generous man I'd ever met. So, we continued in silence and it was more than a little uncomfortable.

My high heels clicked across the cold marble floors, and the silence made me think about how things were going to go today. Eddie would bring me to school, I'd be a freak of nature in school, and Eddie takes me home from school. How excited am I? I can barely contain myself.

We walked down a pair of wide, marble stairs with iron banisters, when I heard the soon of music playing. Now this was _not _music. It was too soft, too fancy... too... _classical. _I liked my music loud, with a fierce beat... something you could actually dance too. At times like these, I wish Abe hadn't taken my guitar away.

I followed Corina into the large study. Literally, it was the biggest fuck off study I had ever seen. The whole back wall, which was fucking huge, was covered in books, and the shelves were so high, that there was actually a ladder connected to it, so that people could reach. There was also a huge sphere globe, it looked antique and I knew for a fact that I would be forbidden to touch it. There was a huge marble fire place, right next to where a huge desk sat. On the desk it, there was little golden plaque that said _Ibrahim Mazur, CEO of Mazur Industries._

Fuck me. Why the fuck did he have _that_ on his study desk. It's not like we didn't already know, I mean he bragged about it enough without having to stick golden plaques around the fucking house.

My mind was sent away from the idiotic plaque when my eyes fell upon the disgusting man on the chair.

"The next time I ask you to hurry, Rosemarie, I expect you to obey." He said. He was in his usual suit, looking as rich and fresh as he always did. His dark hair, the exact same shade as mine, was slicked back with a bucket load of wax and gel and his eyes were dark and full of hate as he glanced at me with his patronizing eyes.

"It's Rose." I stubbornly said, refusing to agree to his demand.

"No, on the day of your birth I specifically asked the midwife to give you the name of Rosemarie." Abe growled, "Rose is a disgusting name, and I will not have you use it, understand?"

I clenched my fists and I fought the angry monster inside of me. The _urge _to just run over and smack him was crazy. "Yes." I choked through my anger.

"Yes, what?" Abe taunted. He was making fun of me, he knew that this was making me angry and he knew I could do nothing about it.

"Yes, sir." I replied, my vision was tinged in red and I wanted scream the fucking house down.

"Good." Abe replied. He picked up the news paper that was sitting on his desk and picked it up, looking at it, everything was quiet as he flicked through pages, looking as mean and as angry as ever, turning each page with a growl as he read the headlines and news. After a while, his eyes gaze over the head of the clean news paper and he glared at me.

"Your hair is disgusting." He commented, "You look wild and unclean. Brush it back and stick it up."

I glanced at him in shock. Was he fucking serious?

"What? So know I'm not allowed to _wear my hair down?_" I commented, hardly able to believe my luck.

"Do not speak back to me." Abe warned from over his newspaper, not even looking slightly bothered, what terrified me about Abe was the he didn't have to raise his voice to make you quiver. His voice stayed calm, scary and honestly I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to mess with him, "You speak when asked a question, you disobedient girl. You will obey my rules so long as you live under my house. Now stick your hair up before I walk over there and do it myself."

I felt my insides shutter in hatred as I searched the inside of my ugly pink purse. Inside, my new books that I would be using lay, I wanted to spit on them as I moved them out of the way to find an elastic band and a hairbrush. Once I did, I brushed all the hair spray and curls out of my hair, Abe watched me in amusement as I tied it back as tight as it would go, not one hair out of place.

"That's much better." Abe commented, picking up his stupid coffee mug, taking a small sip. "Edison will be down shortly, you may wait here until he arrives."

"So Eddie's aloud to sleep in, and I wasn't?" I asked, feeling more hatred for this man than I'd ever felt before. I could understand why my mother divorced him.

"Edison is not a disrespectful, horrible, disgusting girl." Abe said, like that didn't hurt me at all. "He is well respected, he is in many school clubs and he has many connections."

"I have connections." I said, which was true, I had been extremely popular back in New York.

"Yes, you do, dear." He agreed, "With drugs dealers and whores."

I clenched the edge of the expensive, velvet loveseat that no doubt cost more than some people's cars. I hope that I would create a huge hole in the chair, but I had no such luck. It was just like my father to bring up how much of a disappointment I was, compared to Eddie. Truthfully, the reason why I think he loved Eddie so much was because he was a boy. Yes, I said it. Abe was a fucking sexist bastard.

"Ibrahim, dear?" Holly walked in, her beautiful blonde hair tied into a tight bun at the back of her head. She wore a little makeup, and a cute blouse and pencil skirt. As much as I respected Holly, she too, looked stuck up. Her high heels clicked across the wooden floor and she bent down to kiss my father's cheek.

Holly was Eddie's mom, and she had married my father roughly around ten years ago. I had only seen her a few times when my mother forced me to stay here in LA, but the few times she had, I had learned that she was a very nice woman, who definitely did not deserve my father as a husband.

"Good morning, Holly dear." He said, kissing her cheek in return. "Is Edison up and ready?"

"He just making himself some breakfast, he'll be with us soon." She replied sounding just as stuck up as Abe. I watched them and rolled my eyes, didn't they realize how fake they sounded?

"What a fine young man!" Abe complimented, "He would need that breakfast, he needs all the energy he can get!"

Holly chuckled and she placed her hand on Abe's defined shoulder. I wanted to stick my finger down my throat and puke. Abe's eyes moved to mine and he glared angrily at me.

"Do you wish to speak, Rosemarie?" Abe asked, his voice threatening and little scary, but still the same icy calm tone.

"If I wanted to speak, I would have spoken." I said, looking at my manicured nails.

Abe ignored my jab and continued to speak with me. "I assume you are perfectly aware of the rules you must abide whilst staying here?" He asked, his voice thick with amusement. I saw Holly look away, almost looking ashamed. Wouldn't you be ashamed if my father was your husband?

"Well, you did repeat them about a billion times." I said, crossing my legs. "I'm not allowed a car, no dates, the only friends I'm allowed to have are Eddie's friends, you have to choose the activities that I want to join, you choose my clothes, you choose what music I listen to-"

"You will also be awarded." Abe said slowly, his deep voice interrupting my rant. With one sentence, he could shut up an entire room. That was just the type of man Abe was. "Once I am positive that you are no longer the disgusting girl you are now, I will give you some treats."

"What? Like a dog?" I scoffed, not liking the sound of that. What would he do, throw me a dog biscuit every once in a while? I knew I shouldn't have talked back to him, he had explained to me that if I didn't control my anger, he would punish me.

"No, your manners are more disappointing than an animal's." Abe said, picking up his newspaper. "At least the dog has an excuse; it is a creature that clearly doesn't have an intellectual mind. What is your excuse for your disgusting behavior?"

I knew he meant that question as a rhetorical question, so I bit my tongue and I hoped to almighty God that Eddie arrived soon. Unlike the rest of this horrible house, I was actually quite close to Eddie. After a few tantrums and tears, Eddie had explained to me that he'd try to make this as easy as he could. I knew he would try to help me through my anger issues and I knew that would be hard. I was used to acting on how I felt, on pure instinct and now, I had no choice but act like I didn't have this anger issue, and pretend that I was the sophisticated young daughter of L.A's most successful Chief Executive Officer.

"That's what I thought." My father retorted, sounding cold, harsh, unloving. "Also, I expect you to arrive here at exactly four o'clock. I have arranged for you to start some piano lessons."

I didn't even reply to that. I stared at him, opened mouthed... _piano lessons? _I knew that Abe had a music room, and I knew that there was piano… but seriously? The only thing I could so much as do was play the electric guitar. My father _so kindly _allowed me to use the acoustic guitar that was in the music room. I guess that was better than nothing, but I much preferred my gorgeous purple and black electric guitar locked up in the large cupboard.

According to him, rock music is a bad influence on a teenager's life. Again, not being able to say a word, everything fell into a silence. Piano lessons? If I thought life was bad fifteen minutes ago, I was sorely mistaken. Piano lessons were gayer than Elton John, fucks sake. I continued to scowl, ignoring my father and step mother, keeping my eyes on my high heels. I should have asked him why he allowed me to wear these, but he probably would have replied with something like '_To improve your dreadful posture' _or '_I think you need some added height, you're far too short.'_

Asshole.

The silence continued and it was so fucking loud. All I could concentrate on was the silent room, the click of Holly's heals or the turn of my father's news paper page. I checked my nails again, painted a jet black and I knew that without a doubt that if Abe noticed, he would hand me the first nail polish remover in sight. I sighed in anticipation. This was it, the first day of school and I was no were near ready.

I guess it would have been alright if it was the beginning of the year, but no. It was March, and it was in the middle of the semester. I continued to mope and feel sorry for myself until I hear the sound of shoes hitting the hard marble floor. I raised my head, to see my step brother Eddie standing at the study room door, hands in pockets and looking like he was ready to face the world.

"You ready to go?" He said, a huge smile on his face, dangling his car keys in between his fingers. I swallowed in a panic, and then nodded my head slowly, grabbing my pink bag and looking at my father. I couldn't move, my panic was keeping me seated. I could literally feel the balls of sweat gather on my forehead, why was I acting like such a freak? I could do this. I could do this.

I totally can't do this.

I leaned back into the chair and looked at Eddie, my eyes wide and terrified. I was trying my best to hide the fact that I was practically shitting myself in fear, but I knew he could see through it and when his eyes flicked quickly to my father and then to me.

"Edison, you're aware that Rosemarie needs to be here at four?" My father asked, folding his news paper in half, before setting it down neatly before him. He joined his hands and with his dark eyes, he looked at my brother.

"Yes, sir." Eddie replied with a charming smile, unlike me, Eddie actually happened to like my father. "I'll have her home."

My father nodded his head before standing up, tucking his huge throne like chair behind him, he walked towards Holly, took hold of her elbow and together they walked towards the huge double doors of the living room, exactly where Eddie stood. They both stopped, and Holly with her tight posh clothes, clear wrinkle free face and tied back blonde hair, stepped forward, placed a fragile hand on her sons forearm and then placed a soft kiss on his cheek. She walked away, a proud smile on her beautiful face, as my father stepped forward and patted his back with affection. They both ignored me.

I thought they had gone until my father stood confidently at the door and glared at me. "Remember what we discussed, Rosemarie. Step out of line _once _and you'll regret it. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir." I nodded my head, the soft breeze of the open window flowing across my bare face, free from any of my hairs. He gave me curt nod and then walked away, following his wife. I rolled my eyes as soon as he was out of sight and Eddie gave me a sympathetic smile.

"You okay?" He asked, looking at me with worried eyes.

I exhaled a huge breath I didn't realize I had been holding and nodded slowly. I managed to gain the strength I needed, and I stood up, picking up my purse and following Eddie out of the huge study.

As soon as I came to stand at his tall side, he wrapped a thick arm around me. Edison Castile. Popular, gorgeous, rich. What wasn't there to like? I looked up at him threw my thick eye lashes. He had sandy brown hair, it looked like his mothers blonde hair, only with a brownish hue. He had big blue eyes and a tanned complexion, and let's say he wasn't light in the muscle department. It was obvious he worked out and he had great style. He caught me staring at him, and he peaked down, whilst we were still walking, and he gave me a wide grin that showed me his straight white teeth. It was contagious, and I found myself smiling to, and I was brought with a sense of relief. Maybe everything would be okay.

He was exactly how I imagined an older brother to be. Sweet, caring and protective. After being kicked out of my home, and forced to stay here, the only person who seemed to care about how I felt, was my big brother and I had to admit, I was thankful that he was here.

Together, we walked out, and as soon as Eddie opened the wide, white doors the blazing rays of sunlight shining from the sunny L.A sky warmed my skin and blinded my eyes. Eddie smiled at me as I fiddled in my bag for my Ray Banns, and sticking them covering my eyes, I could finally see my father's huge mansion.

For as long as the eye could see, there was beauty. In the garden, trees went on for a long time, and even though I couldn't see it, I knew there was a huge swimming pool behind our huge mansion. We walked down the cobbled steps and to the large sideway garage, big enough to hold at least ten cars. With his keys, Eddie clicked a button and the huge garage doors opened to reveal two cars. I eyed my father's car in distaste. The sleek silver paint of the _Mercedes SLR McLaren _was smooth and unscratched, and I was willing to bet my life, that the asshole spend more money on that car, than an average working man made his whole life.

Next to the _Mercedes _was Eddies car, and I knew just by the proud look he was giving it, that he loved his car very much. The gorgeous, sexy black _Aston Martin Vanquish _was parked next to my father's car, and both of them were pretty impressive, but I had to admit, I favored Eddie's car. It was sexy, fast looking and it was a convertible.

"Hop in." Eddie said proudly, opening my door for me. I nodded my head in thanks and sat down in the black leather seats, taking in how neat and nice it was. You'd expect a guy's car to be covered in rubbish and dirt or dust, basically disgusting, but Eddie's car was spotless and I had no doubt that it was clean enough that it sparkled.

Eddie walked around the side of the car and hopped into the driver's side, a huge smile on his face. Yep. He definitely loved his car. He opened the glove compartment and pulled out his own sun glasses, he placed them on his eyes and started the car. The smooth engine purred under my feet, and almost immediately Eddie glided smoothly out of the garage. We were driving for a while, down a huge lane of trees until we came to the large iron gates of Mazur Manor.

Eddie stopped for a second, and the soft breeze of the L.A day flew across my face and threw my pony tail. I looked at the scenery around me as the iron gates opened to reveal a beautiful place filled with nature. I had to admit, the place was beautiful and if under different living conditions, I knew for a fact that I would have loved L.A.

I knew that once we got to school, I would be on my own. It would be up to me to gain the respect that I had in New York. It would be hard, no doubt, but I knew that I would be a huge question mark in this new school. I would be the new girl who moved from crazy New York halfway through the semester, and that was bound to start rumors, questions. Whatever.

Eddie started the car again, and we became driving smoothly through the beautiful city. The day before, my brother had explained that our school was only a few minutes away from the house, and I knew that within fifteen minutes, I would be in a totally new, scary place with unfamiliar surroundings.

The sun continued to pelt down upon my head, and its bright light bounced off the shiny coat of the black car. The roof of the car was down, and the breeze continued to smack across my face, I turned my head to see Eddie reaching across to put on the radio. Immediately, a song I didn't recognize came on. Eddie, however, seemed to know every word as he rapped along to the horrible music… seriously? That was considered music? The rap continued, every word leaving the mans mouth was like a hammer to the head.

Eddie's hand tapped the steering wheel furiously, as he sang. As soon as the song was finished, another rap came on, but he ignored it, deciding to talk to me instead. "So?" He said, turning his head slightly, before looking quickly back at the busy road. It was only around half eight, and the streets where packed with shoppers, people walking to school and small families about to start family days out. "What are you expecting to come?"

I thought about that. What exactly did I expect? Looking down at my girly stuck up outfit, I knew that the rich bitches would pretend to love me, but really backstab the shit out of me. There would be the bitches, the freaks, the nerds. I was expecting it to be like any other high school, only this school, wouldn't have my friends in it. It wouldn't have my favorite teachers. It wouldn't have my band. It wouldn't be mine, and I knew for a fact, that I wouldn't like it.

"Nothing new." I replied with a nervous sigh, that I disguised with another sigh of impatience.

"Rose." Eddie said, in a warning tone, his deep voice full of worry. "You can't… act they way you did in New York here. Not only will dad kill you, you have to remember that these people don't know you, and you could end up with unnecessary enemies."

"Yeah, I've heard this all before Eddie." I said impatiently, crossing my arms.

He looked at me quickly and nodded his head. I knew that he expected the worse from me, that was given. Everyone expected the worse from Rose Hathaway, the rebel, the trouble maker. I had gotten rid of the drugs, I had stopped drinking, I had stopped the sex, not _willingly _of course, but still. I had stopped, and yet, everyone was ready for the worse. How did they expect me to grow up and move on, if they didn't do the same?

Driving through huge black gates, we were met with a sign that said **Welcome to St. Vladimir's Academy**… what it really should have said, however, was _Welcome to Hell._

I closed my eyes as I felt people's eyes on Eddie's car. Peeking out slightly, I could see that a lot of girls were looking at the car in excitement, but I already knew that Eddie was popular, and as incest as it may sound, my brother was a hottie. He found a parking space and parked. The music turned off as he jammed the key out of the ignition. I opened my eyes to see the whole student body walking outside a modern, ordinary high school. Nothing special. What freaked me out though, was the amount of students. There was so God damned much! They were like a swarm of angry bees moving from car to car, meeting up with friends, boyfriends, girlfriends. That sort of thing.

My hand was practically shaking as I reached out to pull the door open, but before my fingertips touched the handle of the door, a hand wrapped around my wrist. I spun around to see Eddie looking at me in worry. "Stick with me." He said, his gorgeous blue eyes looking intently at me. This wasn't just a warning, it was also reassuring. My father hold told me that Eddie would chose my friends… but obviously he would have chosen his own friends, right? I mean, he was only a few months older than me. We were both seniors and let's face it, we were both good looking. Why wouldn't I fit in with the popular crowd?

Although it sounded…tempting I didn't know whether or not I fancied it. Back in New York, I had been popular, but not for being able to do backflips on a football field, or being the best girl at giving head, I was known as a trouble maker, a crack head, a drunk and whether I liked it or not, I was also known as one of the hottest girls at my school. I resented that.

I nodded my head at my brother, and this seemed to relieve him a little, if not a lot. He gave me one of his regular smiles and opened his door, and I did the same, stepping out into the busy courtyard. The fear inside of me felt like I was being torn up inside, and I felt like I couldn't breath. It was awful. My hand was shaking as I reached into the backseat of the car to grab my purse.

Eddie waited by the front of the car as he locked it. Once I was ready he walked slowly behind me, knowing that I was afraid and unready. In less than ten minutes I would be stared at, glared at, gazed at. People would bitch, people would talk, people would ignore. That was just the way high school was, and it fucked us up. I took a deep breath and told myself I had the strength, although I doubted I really did.

I walked out in front of everyone. At first I was ignored, no one noticed me, and I was thankful for that. Out of everyone's eye, that meant I was less likely to make a fool of myself. Then, Eddie hollered everywhere "MASE!" A lot of people's heads turned to look at Eddie, a popular boy, and me, the new girl. The stares came. No one seemed to be able to take their eyes away from me and I could feel all of their scrutinizing glares as I stayed by my brother's side. Bursting from the crowd, came a cute senior boy with fiery red hair, blue eyes and little splashes of freckles across his nose and cheeks. Like I said, he was cute. He stopped down his gay-assed run whenever his eyes fell upon me, and suddenly he had gained this proud man stride, his head held high and truth be told, he looked confident.

"Hey Ed," Mase said with a guy nod, his eyes flickering to me every available second. "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!"

Eddie held out his hand and playfully punched Mase on the arm. "Shut up, Mason." Oh, Mase was his nickname. Duh. "This is my sister, man." Mason looked at me again, and this time he actually smiled, looing very young and again, very cute.

"Well, hello Eddie's sister." He said with a gentle bow, "I'm Mason Ashford."

I smirked in amusment. This kid was cute, like puppy dog cute, not guy cute. I rolled my eyes and I felt my brother's big hand pinch me, and I knew that was his way off telling me to drop the attitude and be nice. "Hey, I'm Rose Hathaway."

Mason stood up straight and smiled sweetly at me, then turned his attention back to Eddie. "Did you hear, man?" He asked, his eyes wide and full of excitement. He went to stand by my brother's side as we began to stroll to a huge crowd filled with hot looking girls and muscled, yummy guys. Clearly the popular crowd. "Belikov's back."

Eddie stopped in his tracks and glared at Mason. "You're kidding, right?" He asked, sounding as if this was the biggest shit going. I decided to ignore the conversation, not knowing who this Belikov kid was, I decided to focus on my surroundings. Yep, just as I suspected I could see all the cliques.

Although they all fitted into there own little worlds and troubles, and I guess each one was charming in its own way, my eyes went straight to a couple sitting on a high wall, skateboards at their feet as they playfully beat the shit out of each other. The boy had jet black hair, and he was dressed in all black, and even from here I could tell that he was extremely pale, his hand was holding onto a girl's wrist playfully as she kicked him continuously, and they looked like they were having fun. The girl, had extremely short black hair, the exact same shade as the boys, and she too, was pale. She was in a short sleeved tank top, and down her arms where sleeve tattoos, all different colors. On top of her head, was a grey beany hat. It was falling off due to the fight, showing me her sexy cropped hair and she was wearing extremely skinny black jeans and the hottest high heeled leather boots she had ever seen. On the ground next to the pair, was a backpack and a satchel. The satchel was black leather, and clearly a boys bag, the other was just a simple black backpack but even from across the court, I could see the many multicolored badges splattered all over it.

Now, they looked like the type of guys I would hang with.

Mysterious, different, rebellious and clearly badass.

"Rose?" My eyes snapped away from the two kids, to focus on my brother and the large group. Every single head was turned my way, each and every one of them staring at me. The guys in obvious approval and pleasure, some girls were giving me fake smiles, some genuine and some I could tell didn't even bother to hide their distaste.

Geez, I was enjoying myself already.

"These are all my friends." Eddie said happily, knocking knuckles with a few guys. A few of them had cigarettes in their hands, and they all looked fake as fuck. The smell of smoke radiating from the small stick was driving me insane. Fuck sake, I had only been off smoking for a few days and here I was, tempted to steal the cigarette from the guys mouth.

I sighed; this was going to be a long day.

My eyes scanned the crowd and I realized that all the girls were grouped around in one corner, whispering furiously. I had no doubt that they were gossiping, and I had no longing desire to join them in their bitchy hisses. I also didn't want to join, because I knew who they were gossiping about.

Me.

It was confirmed when a girl with long blonde hair turned her head and looked at me in curiosity. I surpassed the feeling of wanting to floor her, when Eddie grabbed my wrist, bringing me closer to the guys. They all smiled sweetly at me, and as cowardly as it sounded, I wanted my hair down so that I could hide from their longing gazes.

"So… Rose is it?" A tall, thick muscled guy asked, obviously checking me out. Eddie again squeezed my wrists. Okay, Rose. Calm down… calm down…calm down.

"Yeah." I confirmed, keeping my voice low and quiet. It sounded sweet, not like me at all. The guy smiled at me again, showing me white gorgeous teeth.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Andre." He said, his eyes raking over my body again, a wolfish grin on his face. His green eyes blazed beautifully, and his angelic blonde hair shone in the light. He was so perfect, a definite hottie. I decided to do a little of my own checking out, and he looked a little too old to be a senior…

"Yeah, and Andre's on his way to college." Eddie said, eyeing Andre with a warning look, as if he forbide the angle like man to look at me. Andre put both of hands up in a gesture of surrender and then gave me one last look before he walked away to a red _BMW 24. _He opened the door, and before stepping in, he gave me a beautiful smile that I had to return. He drove out of the school grounds, and I watched him go.

Wow, could anyone say yummy?

I was smiling, and when I turned around to look at the other guys I could see they were all looking at me in disbelief. Before I was given the chance to ask what was wrong, the ear splitting bell rippled through the school grounds indicating that I needed to go to class. I gave Eddie one short nod, and then walked towards the administration building to get a map and a class schedule.

I walked across the commons, my high heels clicking off the sun heated concrete when I reached the heavy door of the reception. I walked in to see a woman with fiery red hair, and a beautiful smile. I immediately felt better, and it was as though her smile brought warmth to my cold nervous body. I stepped inside and took a look around the reception. The floor was made of thin, beautiful tiles and in the middle was no doubt the school's crest. There was a grand piano and the reception desk was big and expensive looking. It would be just like Abe to enroll Eddie and me into the fanciest school he could.

I walked towards the red haired woman, watching her thick curls cascade across her shoulders before clearing my throat. "Am…Hey. I'm the new student." I said nervously.

The red haired woman smiled sweetly at me. "Rosemarie Mazur?"

"Ah, no." I said, trying to hide my disgust. "My names Rosemarie Hathaway."

She nodded her head, her little curls rolled like sausages on her small head as he continued to smile. "Yes, you father just rang our receptionist a little while ago, I have your map and timetable right here." She moved around some papers and finally, with a victorious smile on her face, handed me the two pieces of paper along with a small booklet called the code of conduct, which would no doubt be filled with the rules of the school.

"Thanks." I said, looking at my schedule. Huh, Health and Social care first. What the fuck was health and social care?

I walked away trying to crack the map, this place was so huge. Directly above me, was the library and it looked giant. I sighed in frustration as I walked towards the door, leading into the hallways of St. Vladimir's Academy.

"Goodbye Rose." The beautiful red headed woman said with yet again, another smile.

"Bye..." I said, walking out of the reception before realizing something. "How did you know my name?"

The woman looked confused for a second. "You told me, dear." Was her reply.

"Yeah, I told you my name was Rosemarie…" I said, and for some reason, I was highly clinical of this woman right now, no matter how pretty her hair was. "How did you know that I liked to be called Rose?"

She looked at me intensely for a second, her green eyes blazing before she raised and dropped her shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. "A hunch." I looked at her suspiciously before giving her a single nod. Okay, she was one to look out for.

I stepped into the hallway, my high heels the only sound vibrating through the quiet school, and I was lost in my map, trying to look desperately for my classroom. Finally, after what felt like years I stood outside a class room named HS1 and I touched the door handle, just knowing that I was getting into shit for being late. I held in a groan that was taking over my throat.

I opened the heavy door and stepped into a quiet classroom. Every head snapped to me in surprise and I noticed with dismay that this class was filled with just girls. Again, that groan threatened to free from my mouth. My pissed eyes snapped to the teacher who was standing with her back to the board, and her cute face to me. She had her arms folded, and she was heavily made up, her short blonde hair was in a curly disarray and in whole she looked very…jolly.

"Oh!" The teacher said, releasing her arms and bouncing over to me. She was a little on the plump side and she just reeked from optimism. "You must be the new student!"

"Yeah…" I said with a nervous laugh. My eyes avoiding anyone in the classroom, I could practically see their scrutinizing gazes watch me and assess my clothing.

"Oh well, take a seat anywhere, pet." She said, her chubby fingers holding lightly onto my bare, tanned arms. I nodded my head, and tightening my grip on my purse as I walked to the back of the room, all eyes on me as my shoes hit the floor, and as I placed myself in the back chair. Right in front of me, was a girl with gorgeous doll like hair, and to be brutally honest, she looked like a younger and skinner version of the jolly teacher.

"Well, girls!" She said raising her hands up in a happy gesture. "Welcome your new classmate!" She grabbed a marker sitting on her desk and began writing her name on the huge white board. The marker squeaked continuously as she wrote her name: _Mrs. Rinaldi._ And adding to the affect, she had drawn a cute smiley face.

The girl sitting in front of me spun around, and as soon as I saw her whole face, I recognized her immediately. She was one of the girls from the popular crowd this morning. She had also been from the group of girls who had given me fake smiles. She looked at me once in disgust before turning around.

Amm… okay?

I decided to ignore that as I looked in my bag for my books. I took out a notepad and started taking down the notes that Mrs. Rinaldi was writing on the board, and as I pretended to be engrossed in my work, I was one hundred percent aware of the stares I was receiving.

-** [Who Knew?] **-

Lunch time. Finally. So far I had three subjects. Health and social care which turned out to be the body and well... Your mind and health. It was interesting, but there was many a time where I wanted to reach out and rip that blonde bitch's hair from her roots. But I fought the urge.

Second class, I had with Eddie, and of course Abe had placed us in Business Studies, seeing as how he wanted us to eventually take over his company. Yeah, right. Like that was going to happen. Long story short, the class was shit and boring, filled with data and graphs. Things I wasn't interested in the least. Eddie however, seemed to find them fascinating. I however wanted to kill myself, Mr. Alto, the teacher, had the most boring voice I had ever heard and I actually spent the hour thinking how Eddie could stay so focused.

Third class had been P.E and that had been the most interesting of the three. I didn't have any gear in with me so Coach Petrov let me sit on the bleachers as the rest of the class ran around and around the huge track. I smiled in amusement as I watched the some blonde girl stop and catch her breathe, but what I found interesting was the black haired girl from that morning, the one who was covered in tattoos and was fighting with the guy. She was running tracks around the other losers, and she looked in perfect shape. Her short pixie cut hair was clipped back from her sweaty face, and she was wearing a sports bra which showed me her stomach, which also had a few tattoos. Her arms were bare showing me her sleeves, skulls, dice, alcohol was all printed into her pale skin. She must have felt me looking because her eyes snapped up to mine and she looked at me in curiosity, one perfect eyebrow rising. She shook her head in amusement and place ear phones in her ears, continuing to run like fuck.

For the rest of the class, I tried to memorize the new map and when I felt confident enough to put it down, I decided to look at the tracks. The guys were in the corner doing stretches and the girls were on the other side of the pitch, drinking water, gossiping, whatever. The scenery became boring to me, but something suspicious caught my eye. Standing in the shadows of the bleachers was a guy. I couldn't see anything but his silhouette and the fact that he was really tall. I was intrigued so I continued to stare, trying to get a better look. Just as I thought he was about to step into the sun a huge bang exploded from the girls side of the track and my head snapped over to see that a tall blonde girl, the very same blonde girl that had been out of breath, had knocked over one of the many banners and now her friends where laughing like a back of hyenas. I rolled my eyes and looked back to the shadows to see the guy had gone much to my dismay. The bell rang throwing us to lunch.

So here I stand, looking around the packed cafeteria with no where to sit. I could see Eddie wave at me from the corner of the hall, but I ignored him. I appreciated his efforts and I was grateful to have a brother as amazing as him, but I was still deciding on whether I liked his friends or not. I was closer to the verge of not.

They hadn't done anything wrong. They just didn't seem like the type of people I should have been hanging with, if I was trying to stay…well behaved.

My eyes scanned the hall to see the black haired girl in the back corner, her grey beany hat back on, along with a leather jacket, leather ankle boots and skinny jeans. She was watching me intensely as the black haired guy next to her played with his food. Her eyes locked with mine, and from here, I could tell she had the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. She gave me tight lipped smile nodding her head to me, raising her finger to motion me forward. I stood with my tray in confusion and then when she motioned more urgently, that made my decision. My head turned to Eddie to see him sitting on a table watching me in horror. I ignored his terrified face as I sat down at the table with the girl and boy. Now sitting close enough, I could see that they looked enough alike to be twins.

"Right." The girl said, kicking her feet to rest upon the table, nodding her head at me. Her eyes were heavily made up with the darkest, thickest eyeliner and she looked as pale as death, although she remained too looked incredibly beautiful. Her back pack was close enough for me to read a few of the badges. One was black, with a picture of stick men having doggy style sex. The heading said **NO ENTRY work in process. **My mouth raised in a huge smile as I checked out another badge. It was black and had _GAY&PROUD! _In multicolored writing, a few others were there either about the devil, being an emo, sex, drink or about being gay.

I liked this girl.

"So… you're what everyone's talking about?" The girl said her voice surprisingly high than I would have expected with her rough exterior. Her eyes raked my pink clothes with a look of distaste. "You look like a fucking walking cupcake." She said an amused smirk.

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you too." I said, rolling my eyes. I lifted up my fork and knife and began eating my food slowly, as the girl watched me. My eyes snapped to the boy who was staring at the popular crowd, a look of disgust and hatred on his face. Wow, issues.

"I'm Tasha." The girl said, keeping her piercing eyes on me, her hand raised and I could see that she had fuck tattooed onto her knuckles, and with her painted black fingernail, she pointed to the good looking guy beside her. "And this dickwad here is Christian, my retarded brother."

"Hey." I said to him. His beautiful blue eyes snapped to mine and he looked aggressive enough to scare the shit out of anyone. I kept my eyes locked to his, hoping he would be the one to back down first and thankfully he did.

"Hi." He said, before he went back to playing with his food. I looked at Tasha who rolled her eyes and then smirked at me. "So, Rose. What's your poison?"

What the fuck? "Am... I don't drink." The biggest lie I have ever told in my life.

Tasha gave a very unattractive snort. "Yeah, right." She said sarcastically, "and I'm Jesus Christ."

I rolled my eyes and continued to eat my food in silence. "So… why did you move here?" Tasha asked, putting her foot down from the table to lean forward and look intensely at me.

"Long story." I said sharply, not ready to tell the story of that unfortunate evening that got me arrested and ultimately ruined my life.

Tasha chuckled and looked around and all of a sudden she let out a huge sigh. "Wow, what a day. First Belikov comes back and now you're here. I've had enough excitement today, I'm telling you."

"Belikov?" I asked in curiosity at the name. A lot of people had been talking about him, but I for one, hadn't seen hide or hair of him. "What's his deal?"

"Well apart from being the hottest thing to hit this shit hole, he's only back from a two months suspension." Tasha said, her eyes raking the many students in the hall. Her nose seemed upturned as she looked in disgust. "I guess you could say that he's St. Vlad's ultimate bad boy. Leather jacket and all."

I nodded in understanding, before turning my head to look at Eddie, who was staring at me.

"Uh oh." Tasha said, "Seems like big brother is getting freaked out. Oh Rose, you should know better than to shit with losers like us." Her voice had become a growl and she sounded like she was pissed off. To avert the conversation I looked around the hall and my eyes fell upon the bitch from Health and Social Care and the blonde girl who was in my P.E class.

"Who are they?" I asked, pointing my finger towards the blonde pair.

"The one who looks like a doll-" Health and Social Care bitch "- Her name's Mia Rinaldi. Bitch. Don't get caught up in her shit. And the girl next to her…? Well, that would be L.A's princess."

This seemed to get Christians attention because his head snapped up and his eyes went straight to this supposed princess.

"Her dad's like the top shit around here. The CEO of Dragomir enterprises. I've heard some shit that he hangs with your dad some times, makes deals over dinner that kind of crap." She paused for a second. "If you think Mia's bad, I'd advise you not to go anywhere near Lissa Dragomir. You'll end up being fucked over. Big time."

Again, I nodded my head. "So, what about Belikov?"

"What about him?" Tasha asked, flicking one of her many badges.

"Shouldn't I look out for him, or not?" I asked.

"Of course you should look out for him. He's a bastard." She said like it was the simplest thing in the world. "A _hot _bastard at that, but none the less, a complete dick head."

"Stop bullshiting her, Tasha." Christian said angrily. He looked to me, his eyes serious. "Yeah, he's a fucker you don't wanna mess with. She's actually quite close to him, though. Listen to her when she says stay away from him, but don't think that she's doing the same thing, because she's not."

"Am… okay." I said awkwardly. "Thanks."

He nodded his head and went back to his dinner. "So?" I asked Tasha. "If you and Belikov are so close, why don't you hook up?"

She looked at me like I was a donkey with six heads before pissing herself laughing. It took her a while to shut up, but eventually she did. "Oh, that was a good one." She said wiping her eyes.

"What?" I said, confused.

"I'm a lesbian, Rose." She said with a smile. "And no, I'm not going to stalk you because you're a girl… but I can admit I find you extremely hot."

I looked at her before breaking into a huge smile. "Thought I looked like a walking cupcake?"

She smirked. "Yeah, a hot walking cupcake." We laughed a bit. "I'm going to like you Rose Hathaway."

I smiled as she stood up and walked away, not looking back. Wow, she was a piece of work alright. I looked at her brother and he shrugged before tipping his tray onto the floor, strolling away as if he hadn't done anything. I rolled my eyes again, and walked to my next class. Biology with Ms. Karp.

Just three more periods until school was done…

And Piano lessons began.

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**Yeah, so if this story continues (I need reviews for that :P) then you'll get to meet Dimitri...**

**Please let me know what you thought xox**

**Thanks.**

**Al xox  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, so I've decided to continue this story but your going to have to be patient for my updates. I'm on my easter break as of today so maybe I can a few updates in, but dont hold that on me. Incase any of you didnt catch on, This is an all Human story.. no vampires :/ but anyway.. on with the chapter.**

**Please Enjoy xD and dont forget to review xD  
**

**Disclaimer- Not mine.**

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**Chapter two- And I thought Mr Quinn was bad...**

**"From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate." ~Socrates**

Lunch was over and classes started again. As I walked to Biology alone, I let my mind wander to random things, like Eddie for instance. As I left the cafeteria he left his food and friends and jogged right to me, his face looking angry and annoyed.

"Rose!" He protested when he stood by my side, "What the hell was that?"

"What was what?" I said, acting indifferent as I walked in the direction to the laboratory corridors. Eddie walked quickly to catch up me and still acting annoyed he stood right in front of me, his muscled body blocking my way.

"Rose." He warned, and I was shocked at how he sounded so much like our father. After all, he was more a father to Eddie than he was to me. Eddie had been my father's son since he was 7, and they had lived together since then. I was the reject child that only came for a week during the summer and was neglected during that time. Eddie was the golden boy, and I was the disappointment.

"What?" I said, my eyes going wide in confusion.

"Oh come on," He said, folding his thick arms. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Why did you sit with …those…those…?"

"Losers?" I said, giving him a little help. Eddie didn't correct me, and he stood there, his blues eyes blazing as he waited for my reply. "I don't know. Maybe because they aren't superficial and they actually have something in common with me?"

"They have something in common with the old you, Rose." Eddie said sympathetically, loosening his arms to let them slide into his pockets. "You're not the crack head slut you used to be. You don't own anything leather, you don't have your guitar and you don't have your motorcycle. The sooner you realise that you have to change, the better."

"I like who I am!" I protested, and I was lucky that the hallway was empty, because I raised my voice a little more than necessary.

"Yeah? Well no one else does, Rose." He replied sadly, his amazing eyes looking into mine. He was being harsh, but it was true. "You're mean and rude. You don't give a _fuck _about anyone but yourself, your drugs, vodka and your bike."

"Yeah, well that isn't going to change with you fuckers _forcing _me to be someone I'm not!" I yelled. "Because it's not going to work! I'll find another way to drink and I'll get a new band-"

"What? With Tasha, Natalie and Christian?" He said sarcastically.

"Who's Natalie?" I spat, "And yeah, if I wanted to, I could."

"Not if I tell dad first."

"You wouldn't." I said, my voice had dropped low and angry. I couldn't believe he would betray me like that.

"If I had to, yeah, I would." He said it like he was sorry. Yeah right. "Rose, this is for your own good! Where do you think taking drugs, drinking is going to take you? It will destroy you!"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes in anger. "Okay." I agreed, "I'll stay away from them, and play with your friends for a while, if that satisfies you."

His eyes scanned my angry stance before he relaxed, seeming to believe me. "Thanks Rose." He said with a relieved sigh. "I'll see you in Employability, until then..."- He looked around the hall until his eyes lit with acceptance. - "MASE! get over here!"- He looked at me again, "Mason will walk you to class, and please Rose, you don't want to get caught up with those people."

I rolled my eyes and waited impatiently as Mason walked towards me with a big smile on his face. Eddie patted his back and then gave me one curt nod before he strolled away, hands in pockets and head down. I folded my arms and stood there, feeling like a complete jackass.

"So, Rose?" Mason said, folding his own arms as we began to walk. "Where am I taking you?"

"Biology, with Ms Karp." I groaned. I kind of did like Mason; don't get me wrong, but seriously? I felt like an out of control two year old, who had to be escorted to places by her older brother's friends. I didn't want him here, and I certainly didn't want his curious eyes glancing at my body. It became creepy after a while.

We walked in silence, until everyone started to depart from the cafeteria. Groups of friends huddled together like packs of wolves, and the talked constantly. It seemed that Mason and I were the only ones with our mouths shut.

"So, how do you like L.A so far?" Mason asked me, as we arrived outside the biology class room. No one was in class yet, so I decided to stand outside and talk to Mason, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

"It could be better, but yeah, its okay I guess." I said truthfully. I couldn't wait to explore the sun and the beaches, that wasn't something I got to do very often in New York. He looked intensely at me, and the corners of his mouth began to rise in a cute smirk.

"Yeah, okay's the right word." He folded his arms and we fell into silence again. Behind him, I could see that the sun was blazing, and through the thick, green trees and I could see a beach. I sighed, longing to jump into the cool salty water, or have some of that sunshine beat upon me.

"Want to sit outside with me?" I asked, batting my eyelashes for added effect. His eyes widened, as if he was in shock, but quickly got his grip together, and strolled out into the beautiful sun with me. Students were scattered all over the beautiful school grounds, and in the near by distance, I saw a beautiful oak tree. I made my way towards it, Mason following me, and the whole student body's eyes following us. I tried to ignore them, but it was pretty hard and I let my eyes wander.

I regretted it almost instantly.

In the far corner, smoking on a cigarette was Tasha, and she was by herself. She caught me glancing and called me over, a huge smile on her face. Looking at Mason quickly, I ignored Tasha, hoping that my brother's friend wouldn't have realised. He looked at me in confusion and then his eyes snapped to Tasha. Suddenly, his face went slack and he looked a little pissed.

Together we walked to the huge oak tree and I planted my ass to the ground, Mason following suit.

"So… You and Tasha are pretty close, huh?" He asked, crossing his legs and looking at me closely. I sighed and tilted back my head until it rested on the warm, brown bark of the tree. I released a huge exhale of breathe and then opened my eyes again, to see that Mason had been watching me, his eyes dark and a little worried.

"I've talked to her once." I said truthfully, "Everyone needs to stop getting so worked up about it."

"Believe me Rose." Mason said, his blue eyes snapping to Tasha, who continued to look at us, a sour expression on her face. She had taken her hat off, and I could now plainly see her sexy black crop, as she leaned coolly against the wall of the huge school. Her foot was pressed against the wall, and she had her cigarette in her hand, as she flicked away the ash. I averted my gaze as quickly as I could. "There's a reason why Eddie's getting worked up about you hanging with Tasha Ozera. She isn't a good person, and that dickhead brother of hers isn't much better."

"Why, because they aren't popular?" I said my voice thick with anger. I had met people like Tasha before, and I would rather be a friend of hers, than a friend of…Lissa Dragomir for example. With Tasha, you knew that she wouldn't talk behind your back, and she would be straight with you. She wasn't a person who associated with bullshit, and at the end of the day, even If she was a crack head, alcoholic slut… I had this feeling that she was trustworthy, no matter what other people said.

"No, that's not why." Mason said sadly, "Listen Rose, you look like a good kid who isn't in to that type of shit, and I wouldn't want you to be. You're my best friend's sister, and if he wants you safe, I'll make sure you are. Tasha and Christian Ozera aren't safe, not even close."

Little did Eddie know that not only five days ago, was I in prison, too high to even realise what I was injecting into my body, and too drunk to care. I was wild, out of control and although I admit that path was dangerous, it was fun. Was it so wrong for me to want just a little taste of my old life back?

I mean, although I probably deserved it, I was feeling lost and lonely. My mom had kicked me out, and she never wanted to see me again, the only reason my father took me in was so that he could bribe the police officers to take me home, so that his spotless reputation wasn't soiled. I knew Eddie thought I was a head case and Holly was living in illusion that if you're rich, your life is perfect. She oversaw my pain, she oversaw Abe's abusive behaviour and the only thing she was concerned with, was keeping up this charade of the perfect family.

"Yeah, Mason, I appreciate that you're trying to look out for me, or whatever, but seriously, I already told Eddie that I'd stay away, I don't need you to tell me too." I said, my voice came out a bit snappier than I had realized, and Mason's eyes dropped, his large pupils clouding in hurt. He nodded his head and stood up just as the bell rang.

"Okay, I'll let you and Eddie settle this." He said, smiling although I knew it was forced. He towered over my sitting form and continued to give me the forced grin. "I'll walk you to class."

"No, it's okay." I said, "I'll go in a second but you can just go on ahead."

He gave me a worried look but nodded his head, strolling away to get to class. I stayed under the tree, the beautiful rays of light peaking through the jade green leaves and I closed my eyes, letting the pathetic specks of light hit me. I could hear students scream and laugh as they hurried into class, and once there was no other noise apart from the ocean breeze, the rustle of the leaves and my slight breathing, I opened my eyes again. The courtyard was completely empty, and just by plain instinct my eyes snapped to were Tasha was smoking. She was gone.

I sighed and picked my tired body up. I hadn't slept, and I was positive that I had bags the size of Jupiter under my eyes. I picked up my purse with a yawn and strolled to Biology. My high heels clicked across the tiled floors and I yawned again as my hand clamped onto the door handle, and I opened it to expose a class of guys and girls, each head turned in my direction… what surprised me the most; however was the woman sitting at the desk, typing away at a modern computer.

It was the receptionist woman who had known that I liked to be called Rose.

"Ah, Rose Hathaway!" Ms Karp said, standing up. She had tied her beautiful red locks into a messy bun, and a few strands fell across her beautifully structured face. She smiled at me and walked to where I stood, looking happy and cheerful. "Take a seat where ever you please, dear."

I nodded thanks, and looked around the room. First, my eyes fell upon Lissa Dragomir with her long blonde hair and beautiful face. She looked curiously at me, her green eyes wondering. She wore a fashionable white silk camisole and the tightest light skinny jeans ever, a few fashionable rips were stitched onto the front and she wore silver high heels, which made her already long frame taller.

I rolled my eyes and looked for another place to sit. In the back corner, a smug smirk on her lips, was none other than Tasha Ozera. She raised her hand and gave me a small waggle of fingers, her sarcastic smirk stayed plastered to her beautiful face, and her heavily made up eyes sparkled with mischief. I smiled at her, and strutted to where she sat, throwing my bag under the table, and sitting on the stool next to her. She chuckled as I looked at her. Ms Karp started the class, and it seemed that I was far behind. I hadn't a clue what she was talking about, and I was usually a wiz kid in biology.

I decided to stop trying to understand and I looked at the girl beside me, to see that she was smirking at me. "You look utterly lost, cupcake." She said, looking at her black nails. Even from where I sat I could tell that she had her feet up on another stool, and she looked extremely comfortable. My eyes snapped to Ms Karp who was demonstrating and drawing diagrams, not showing any sign that Tasha and I were talking loudly. However, a certain princess kept looking my way, that same curious tint to her gaze.

"That girl sickens me." Tasha said, glaring at the blonde beauty. "Her and that Mia bitch."

I chuckled at Tasha's aggressive nature, and I wanted to apologize for ignoring her but something told me she honestly didn't give a shit. "Why?"

"Well, why not?" Tasha asked rhetorically. "She struts around like she owns the place, just because her dad owns a company and is rolling in cash. The fake radiating off that skanky body is enough to make me choke. Not forgetting to mention that she's screwed half the football team."

I choked another laugh and looked at Lissa's way. She did look spoiled, but I never really took her as a slut. "And what about Mia?"

"Well, she's worse that Lissa, because Mia is the wanna-be." Tasha stated. "Her moms the health and social care teacher at this school, and her dad's like some cleaner in some hotel, but she acts like she's a fucking royal descendant from the queen. She's a bully, and she probably carries more STI's than your sluttiest prostitute."

"Okay, Class!" Ms Karp's musical voice said from the front of the class room. "I want you to talk in pairs about Adrenaline hormone, also known as the 'Fight or Flight' hormone, jot down anything you might know and we'll discuss it tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes as the class started talking, not one person was talking about the task. I looked at Tasha, who was glaring at Lissa with hatred, my eyes snapped to the princess to see her talk to some pretty blonde girl. She was talking excitedly, her hands moving everywhere as she talked and talked and talked.

"Literally, I can feel the bile rise in my throat." I heard Tasha growl from beside me. My eyes snapped quickly to hers, and then back to Lissa as I heard her talk.

"It's going to be amazing, Camille!" She squeaked, her voice girly and high. "He's been waiting for this night for weeks; he's going to make such a big event out of it, the party is going to be great!"

"Okay." Tasha growled, "Can we please talk about something, because I'm feeling the slightest urge to run over and drown that bitch in acid."

I laughed and Tasha's darkened eyes snapped to mine. I continued to laugh, and breaking from her pissed mood, Tasha joined my laughter. Once we calmed down, Tasha lifted out a dark black marker and began to graffiti on her exercise book.

"What's this party that Lissa's talking about?" I asked, folding my arms and looking out the window, wishing for the beach.

"Does it matter?" Tasha said with a growl, drawing a black skull with some black oozing liquid dripping from its mouth. "All I know is that her rich daddy joined another firm and had been waiting ages for them to accept. Now they have, it's party time for the Dragomirs and any social elite from L.A."

I nodded my head in understanding, not willing to share that my family could be classified as social elite; I ducked my head as Ms Karp continued to teach with her usual enthusiasm. I blurred out and all I could hear was Tasha's constant growl of 'Crazy Karp' I ignored her and let my senses take over and I lay down my head and rested. Already, I could smell the smoke bouncing off Tasha, I had already smelt it, but now that I was resting it was almost overwhelming. I was dying for just one draw.

I tried to ignore the fumes and listened. Out side the huge window, I could hear the sweet chirps of cute birds as they played beautiful music, I let it sooth me, and not expecting the deafening bell to ring, I jumped up and almost screamed. Tasha took one look at me and burst into large rib busting laughs, as her eyes watered and she held into the table for support. Everyone was looking our way and I glared at them, meeting Lissa's eyes. Not even thinking about it, I gave her the dirtiest look I could muster and she looked extremely hurt as she stormed out of the class room. I rolled my eyes and gripped Tasha's arms.

"Come on." I said as Tasha continued to laugh at my expense. Finally, when she was over it, she looked at me, her eyes a little red and a bit of her makeup smudged.

"What have you got now?" She asked, wiping under her eye with her finger, her breathing still a little harsh from the laughing.

"Am…" I checked my schedule, "Employability."

"Yuck" Tasha yelled with distaste, "You'll hate that class, cupcake, Mr Quinn is a bastard."

I rolled my eyes. Just what I needed. A bastard. "How about you, what have you got?"

"History with Mr Hunter." Tasha said happily, "As much as I can't stand that class, I'm a little excited today." Her tone was lyrical and I was intrigued.

We were walking up a huge set of stairs as both of our classes were on the top floor, and Tasha looked cheerful and happy. "Why?" I asked curiously, giving her the look that implied she was crazy.

"Belikov's back." Tasha said, as if it was the most obvious thing she had ever heard. "Since he was suspended he went on a bender. Drinking, injecting, that kind of thing. I haven't seen him in ages, and according to Natalie he hasn't been in any classes today, but I saw him standing next to the bleachers today in P.E, so I _know _he's in."

So… Belikov was the tall guy looking at me from the shadows? I had to admit, I was intrigued.

I nodded my head; a curious grin on my face, Tasha gave me a weird look as we stepped in front of a huge maroon painted door. Her hand held onto the knob and she looked at me. "Well, this is me, bitch. I'll see you later?"

"See you later." I confirmed as she walked into the History class, her back pack hanging loosely from her shoulder. I continued to walk through the busy corridors, almost banging into lockers and walls from the buzzing students.

Sooner than I wanted, I came to my employability class, face sullen and I was already bored. I opened the door to see Eddie sitting on the table, surrounded by a bunch of guys and girls. I rolled my eyes and made my way over, shoving through the crowd to sit next to my brother.

"Hey Rose!" He said, wrapping his thick arm around me in a brotherly hug. I smiled and looked at the crowd around me. Some of the girls eyed me jealousy and from the crowd, I could see Mia with a disgusted face, with two girls next to her on either side. One had long brown hair with beautiful blonde highlights with the darkest brown eyes I had ever seen, and the other had long black hair that fell just above her waist in beautiful curls, her eyes blazed a gorgeous blue-grey colour, both were amazingly fashionable and stunning, yet along with Mia, they looked like utter bitches.

They were like a pack of bitchy wolves, glaring at me with such hatred that I literally had the urge to swallow in anticipation. I rolled my eyes, ignoring the glares I was receiving and I tried to socialize, but no such luck came. In the middle of the huge crowd, you'd think I would be chatting enthusiastically, but my eyes kept snapping to the three girls who were obviously gossiping about someone, most likely me. For one moment, I actually wondered whether I would like to see things in their point of view, shopping, making out and looks et cetera, but whether I wanted to wasn't optional, because it wasn't possible for me to ram my head that far up my own ass.

Just as I was about to thank a girl who admired my purse, Mr Quinn stepped in, and everything went quiet. It was like his presence sucked the happiness out of the air and slowly, without the earlier enthusiasm, the whole class sat in their seats, chairs scraping across the floor was the only noise as the students skittered quickly but quietly to sit, all personality seemed to have dripped through the cracks of the floor, because everything seemed dead…gone.

Unfortunately for me, I was the centre of attention, standing like a spare dick in the middle of the classroom. I hadn't been assigned to a seat, and quite truthfully, I was extremely uncomfortable under Mr Quinn's scrutinizing glare. His grey eyes, the exact same colour as his busy moustache and hair, showed no emotion and quite truthfully, if it wasn't for the healthy glow of his skin, I would have classified the dude as a zombie, looking like the walking dead and all. He cleared his throat, and the old man folded his skinny arms, his brown blazer bunching at the shoulders.

"And you are?" His rough voice broke through the dead silence. Looking at Mr Quinn, being the skinny, wired, _fragile _man he looked like, you think that you could seriously mess him over, fuck around with his mind… but no. This dude was hard core, and quite truthfully, his scary glare was terrifying. What ever part of my mind that wasn't consumed in worry and fear allowed me to think how this man could possibly be an employability teacher, instead of a Captain in the army or if worse came to worse, some badass tattooed guy in an alley with a gun or a baseball bat… perhaps both.

I swallowed as I began to speak. "Rose Hathaway…" I paused. "Sir."

He nodded his head, his dead eyes continued to glare at me. "Ah yes, Ibrahim Mazur's promising daughter from New York." I was too terrified to be shocked or to reply. He nodded his head and turned his back to me to pick up something that looked like a seating chart. He clicked his tongue as he looked at me. "You will take the seat towards the front, next to Miss Lazar."

I turned my back to him to walk to my new seat to see the black haired girl who was standing next to Mia. I almost rolled my eyes before I realized that Mr Quinn was still glaring at me. As soon as I sat down, my chair scraping too noisily, Mr Quinn placed the seating chart on his desk and then leaned against the wall. He clicked his tongue again and then glared at each student as though he could see into their souls.

"Get out your text books, pages fifty six to sixty two. Read." He growled, and with almost super human speed, each person ripped open their bags and pulled out a huge textbook. I opened my purse to realize that I hadn't gotten it yet, and shaking like a baby I raised my hand.

Mr Quinn's hawk eyes pierced me, and he nodded his head, giving me indication to answer. "Ah, I don't have a textbook…sir."

He showed no emotion as he turned around, opening up a steel cabinet to lift out a thick book. He threw it on my desk and I nodded my head in thanks, taking in the crumpled pages as I came to page fifty six. I started to read, dreading the next couple of months of torture in St. Vladimir's Academy.

-**{Who Knew?}**-

Employability had been hell. I almost melted to a puddle of the floor once the bell rang, and with a little too much enthusiasm, I packed my bag and ran out of the class room, anticipating the sweet sweet smell of the Quinn free air. For the past hour, I had read nothing but how to enhance my skills and how I can become more employable, which of course, was a moot point. Although Abe wanted Eddie and me to take over _Mazur Industries_ eventually, there wasn't a chance in the world I was letting that happen. The only subject I was truthfully happy with was biology. I had always found the human body, animals, organisms that sort of stuff, extremely interesting. It sucked now though, because in my last school? Well let's just say we weren't as advanced, or as far ahead as the Academy was.

My plans for the future were still a little fuzzy. I didn't know where I wanted to live or work, but I did know what I wanted to study in college and that was biology so that eventually I could become a successful Veterinary Pathologist, which basically meant that I would be working with animals, studying their bodies, curing diseases and comparing animal diseases to human, like the bird flu for example. It was always something that interested me.

Walking alone, I was extremely terrified with a huge pair of hands clamp themselves over my eyes. "Little sis, you're going the wrong way."

"Get off me, you twat." I said with a laugh, clawing his hands away from my makeup free eyes.

I turned around to see Eddie smiling charmingly at me, his white teeth a beautiful contrast from his tanned face. "Shall we walk together?"

"Sure." I said, readjusting the purse on my shoulder. "But shouldn't we be walking this way?"

I pointed a black fingernail in the direction of the stairs, but Eddie shook his head and nudged his shoulder in the opposite direction. "Nuh-uh Rose, geography is this way."

"Geography?" I asked confused, looking at my schedule again. "Eddie, I'm in Media Studies."

"What?" Eddie looks slightly out raged. "How come Dad allowed you to take on Media?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Honestly, I'm a little surprised myself, but hey, I'm not going to go ask any questions, I have a feeling Abe made an accident."

"Dad isn't the type of man to make mistakes, Rose." He said with a laugh. The students continued to push past us, some eager to get to class, others not so much, yet activity was everywhere. I was almost knocked to my feet when a beefy football player shoved right into me. The prick didn't even apologise. I clenched my fists and Eddie touched my arm lightly.

"Calm down." He said, his blue eyes looking into mine. "Come on, I'll walk you to class."

I nodded my head and we walked in the direction that I had pointed to. We dodged the passing students, though mostly they parted like the red sea for Eddie, seeing as how he was the star quarter back and all. I rolled my eyes and continued conversation with my brother.

"So anyway, what's up Mia and her little entourage?" I asked, tightening my ponytail.

"Mia, Sonya and Avery are usually Lissa's followers, but fortunately for Miss Dragomir, she takes Chemistry instead of Employability." He said nonchalantly, but his voice became a little soft mentioning Lissa's name. Okay… yuck.

"And how do you know what subjects she takes?" I said, my voice a little teasing, as much as the thought sickened me, I still liked to know what was going on.

"Well apart from the fact that I'm one of her boyfriend's best friends, I'm pretty close to her." He said with a shrug of the shoulders, her cleared his throat and then looked away. "And we kind of hooked up a few times a couple of months ago."

"Nice one." I said, my voice dripping with venom and sarcasm. Who was I to judge? Sex to me was like water; go long enough without it then you die. Of course, I wouldn't actually die… but you get me.

Eddie chuckled and I had to admit I was still a little intrigued with the whole Mia thing. "So how about you and Mia? You ever..?" I let the question hang in the air.

"Oh God no!" Eddie said with a laugh, and a little bit of shock was tinged into his words. I was also pretty sure he almost swallowed his tongue. "I mean yeah, she's hot, but no."

"Huh. Why not?" I said, wanting to get the dirt. Maybe Mia had a reputation? I didn't know, but that's why I was asking.

"I don't know." Eddie said, shrugging his broad shoulders once again. I could tell this conversation was making him uncomfortable, but if anything, that made me the more curious. "She's just a little fake for me."

And Lissa Dragomir wasn't? "Yeah I know what you mean." I said with a nod of my head, "Someone seriously needs to tell that bitch that she only needs one pair of socks, and they belong on her feet, not her bra."

He snickered and sighed, nestling me under his muscled arm. "I'm glad you're here Rose." He said truthfully.

"Yeah, wish I could say the same." I replied, Eddie nodded in understanding and I was just about to tell him about Abe's retarded piano lessons when someone jumped on my back. It was extremely awkward because Eddie's arm was still around me, but once he back away and looked at me, his face clouded with disgust. It was Tasha.

"Get your fat ass off me!" I said playfully, elbowing her stomach.

"Excuse me." Tasha said, turning around to look at me. She smelled a little funny and her eyes were blood shot, and I knew for a fact that she hadn't been crying. Drugs in school. Nice one. "My sexy lil' ass isn't fat."

I smiled and looked at my brother again, who continued to glare at Tasha. "Uh, yeah. Tasha can walk you to class; just wait by the big oak tree for me." With that, he stormed away hands in pockets and head down. I had to think were the big oak tree was, but then I remembered that I had sat there at lunch, so with a happy sigh I turned back to Tasha, ignoring the fact that Eddie had to give me a lift home.

"Whoops." Tasha said, finally climbing off my back. "Big brother isn't happy is he?"

I shook my head and smirked as he turned around the corner, leaving my sight. "Nope, and neither will my dad be, seeing as how my Eddie's going to rat me out."

Tasha nodded in understanding. Something seemed fishy to me, and when I looked around I realized what it was. They hallways were empty, and that meant we were late to class. Crap. I grabbed Tasha's arm and started dragging her with me.

"Where are you now?" I asked referring to what class she was in. My legs moved with such speed as I continued my power walking.

"Media Studies." Tasha stated, her voice slightly happier than usual, but that had nothing to do with the class, I had what ever the hell she'd been smoking to thank for her happiness. I continued to walk up a whole load of stairs taking in the empty hallways, long and never ending. The walls were the same eggshell colour. Boring, dull. The only splash of the colour was the red lockers framing either side of us.

"I was thinking in history, Cupcake." Tasha said a huge smile on her face. "I don't know that much about you."

"I wouldn't like to think so," I said with a huge smile on my face, "I've only known you for three hours."

"Yes, but isn't this a perfect opportunity for us to get the know one another?" She asked, linking her arm to mine. I had to admit, a happy Tasha was a better Tasha. I _seriously _had to thank whatever she had smoked. She seemed so chilled, calm and happy.

"We're late for class." I said, like the great influence I was trying to be.

"Oh, Mr Nagy will understand!" Tasha protested, keeping her iron grip on my arm, "What's ten more minutes?"

I had to admit, I didn't want to be late for class. I was trying to turn my shit around, and start afresh and I knew for a fact that hanging with Tasha could seriously fuck me over, but she had a point. What was ten minutes more?

"Okay," I sighed, masking my pleasure. "What would you like to know, Sherlock?"

"Why are you here?" Tasha said curiously, sitting down on the floor. I looked up and down the corridor for any sign of a teacher, but no, there wasn't one in sight, the hallway was completely empty. Apart from the high girl on the floor and myself, of course.

I sighed and sat down next to her. "I don't really want to get into the details," I said and I saw Tasha's disappointment, though I continued. "But basically, I did something … something awful in New York. My father had to do a lot just to keep me from going to prison and he took me in, because my mom didn't want me anymore."

"You know, I told Christian that you looked like one of those secretive, interesting people with inner turmoil… you just seem so deep and mysterious to me Rose." She said and her eyes seemed a little more dilated, now that I was closer.

"Oh geez," I said, my voice thick with sarcasm. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Tasha said, and I was sure she thought I was being serious. "Anyway, he thinks your just some quiet ordinary girl, but believe me Rose, I can see through your fucked up, bullshit, crappy charade."

I nodded my head nervously, keeping my focus on a dent in one of the apple red lockers. It was vital that I didn't reveal too much about my old life, I almost killed a man who was still in intensive care, and believe me when I say that I didn't want that getting out, not for my father's benefit, but for my own. I didn't want that on my mind anymore than it already was.

"So, next question?" She said enthusiastically. "Any lovers back home? Boyfriend, fuck buddy?"

"Uh… yeah," I said, not wanting to get into details. "He was kind of a friend with benefits but we cared about each other."

"See, that always messes up the fuck buddy agreement. That's the whole point of the buddy!" Tasha protested, throwing her hands in the air. "You're friends, not more."

From the way she was speaking, I knew that Tasha had some experience in this department. "Yeah, I mean I still hooked up with other guys, but I did care about him."

"Did you love him?" Tasha asked, her voice had suddenly become sullen and soft.

"I think I did." I said, remembering him with a soft smile on my face. "He hates me now though, because I had to move."

"I sure he doesn't hate you," Tasha said certainly. "He probably loves you."

I nodded my head, dying to change the subject. "So how about you?" I said with a huge, fake smile on my face.

"What? Do I have a girlfriend or a fuck buddy?" She said with a laugh. "Not that many lesbians I know. I mean yeah, there's the occasional cheerleader who pretends to be Bi because guys are into the kind of crap… but I mostly just hook up at parties or whatever."

I had to admit, I was surprised. I had tagged Tasha as a girl who wasn't invited to parties.

I sat back and rested my head against the cold metal of some random kid's locker. I began to softly bang my head with boredom, my reason being there was nothing else to do. We had Media Studies, and according to almost everyone it was a great subject. Studying movies, learning to shoot movies and basically learning about all media sounded great, better than business studies or employability. They sucked, of course.

"We better get going," Tasha said, standing up. "Mr Nagy's going to kick our fucking asses, Cupcake."

I laughed as I stood up. Even in heels, Tasha was a few inches taller than me, of course she was wearing killer high heeled boots, but still, I felt like a dwarf. "Thought Mr Nagy wouldn't mind?" I said with a laugh as we started strolling towards our class.

"I bullshitted." She said, twisting around her back pack to look inside it. She was shuffled around until she lifted out a bottle of vodka, twisting the cap she took a huge gulp and threw it back in, looking extremely satisfied with herself.

"How the hell don't you get caught?" I said with a laugh. "I've been suspended for _weeks _because I had whiskey in my locker, and here you are, smelling of dope, smoke and vodka, and no one cares."

"As far as anyone is concerned, that's my natural aroma," Tasha said, giving me a charming burp. "Nobody cares what I do, that's the best thing about being an outcast. No one cares."

I nodded my head and decided to stay quiet. Was being an outsider a touchy subject for Tasha? Or was she glad she wasn't caught up in all that popular crap? Looking at her bloodshot eyes, it was unclear. No way was I going to listen to Eddie when he said to stay away from her, but was she really a girl I didn't want to get caught up with? She seemed pretty awesome, and believe me, living in New York, I had met worse. Far, far worse.

"Won't Mr Nagy realize what your doing, I mean if he's going to crack up at us for being late, don't you think he's going to…well, smell you." I asked, not wanting to sound rude.

"Oh please!" Tasha scoffed, "Where do you think I got this vodka? Nagy keeps his own stashes all over campus. We can thank him for about half the parties that go on."

"Seriously?" I said, quite shocked.

"Yup," She said, popping her 'p'. "Another positive of having no friends, you see everything."

We both stayed in silence, the only sound was the distant noise of lectures and our high heels clicking across the empty hallways. We walked along the long corridor, in which I had spoken to Eddie, and I looked out the window. There was no doubt that L.A was beautiful, it truly was, and even from here, I could see the beautiful beach. It looked busy, and I wished I was down there sunbathing. Relaxation was what I needed right now.

Finally, we arrived in Media Studies and everyone seemed engrossed in whatever they were doing. It basically looked like they were just talking in large groups, but I knew they were doing team work, looking at the sheets in the middle of each table.

Tasha and I walked towards Mr Nagy's desk, where he sat reading what looked like an essay. He looked up as Tasha approached him, an innocent look on her beautiful face. Nagy cleared his throat and placed the sheets of paper neatly on the desk. He straightened the edges and then looked up at Tasha, a sceptical look in his dull, brown eyes. They were just as blood shot as Tasha's.

"Miss Ozera," He said his voice cheerier than I would have thought. "You're late. Again. Explain yourself."

"Well, see, sir…" Tasha said, grabbing my arm and making me stand straight in front of my new teacher. "This is our new student, and she was feeling sick, from the nerves and all. I couldn't just leave her by herself."

I surpassed the urge to roll my eyes and I decided to put my acting skills to the test. I placed a hand on my lower abdomen, a frown on my face. Nagy must have been extremely gullible, because my acting skills sucked, but he drank it all in, a look of sympathy on his face. He ran a hand through his ashy brown hair before picking up a pair of glasses to put over his bloodshot eyes. He looked cynically at me, before his mouth rose in a friendly smile.

"How are you feeling now, Miss…?"

"Hathaway." I confirmed, "And I'm feeling okay, thanks."

He nodded his feeble head, and pointed a hand towards the white board where there was a task written down. "Your brother can get you up to date Miss Ozera, we're doing group work. You'll have to sign on your computer account to print out a success criteria for this task."

"Thank you sir." Tasha said, climbing further up his ass.

He nodded his head, and continued to mark his essay. I looked confusingly at Tasha who motioned for me to come, where Christian sat lonely in a corner. I sat in front of a computer station and clicked the button, before realizing that I still didn't have an account. I looked at Tasha in desperation and before she could speak, Christian interrupted from behind me.

"You're going to have to go to the office tomorrow and get an account." He stated, his pale hand clenching the back of my chair. I turned around to see his blazing blue eyes piercing me. I guess he was quite hot, considering he wasn't weird and quiet. His black hair was messy and fell over his shocking blue eyes, when he looked at me, it was almost patronizing and cocky, yet he remained to stay silent and observant. In whole, he was just mysterious. "I could print you out a copy, of the sheet… if you want."

"Yeah, that would be great." I said with a smile, letting him know that I didn't bite and he didn't need to get on like an ass.

Tasha snickered from beside me, her eyes searching the class room. "That sneaky bastard."

"Excuse me?" I said with confusion. I let my eyes roam and I was met with familiar faces. Lissa, Mia, Sonya and Avery sat in a little circle at the back, giggling away at some one's BlackBerry, obviously a text or a picture. I rolled my eyes and continued to look, and the whole room was filled with either football jocks, cheerleaders or the rich kids… seemed like this wasn't a subject for losers.

I cleared my throat after Tasha hadn't answered me. "So… who's a sneaky bastard?" I would have thought she'd be talking about Lissa, but her voice was filled with affection.

"Dimitri." She replied, a huge smile on her face.

"Dimitri? Who the hell is Dimitri?" Tasha spun around and glared at me.

"Are you serious?" She said, an unstable tinge of disbelief stitched into her laugh. "The guys who everyone's excited about, you know the one that got suspended?"

"Oh, you mean Belikov." I said. Boy was I stupid; I think I kind of assumed his first name was Belikov. Whoops.

"Yeah." Tasha confirmed, her eyes snapped back to the door as if she waiting for someone to burst through. "He told me in History that he'd be here; I need to introduce you to him."

"Oh… he's in this class?" I said, not even bothering to hide my interest. Damn, he seemed like an interesting guy. Scary… but what the hell, I'm sure people thought of Tasha as scary too, and she was practically the only decent person I had met.

"Yeah, but don't expect to see much of him," She stated. "If he even bothers to come to school, or if he isn't suspended, he ditches most classes and spends all his time in the cabin."

"The cabin?" I asked, yet again, showing interest.

"Yeah, he goes down there with some of the guys and they drink and smoke or whatever." She replied, turning back to her computer, clicking aimlessly away at the screen. "I go down sometimes, but not that much. I actually plan to do something with my life. Dimka's just a lazy bastard…plus, all day people stare at him like he's some fucking freak, that's got to be hard."

"Yeah, I know that feeling." I said, and I truly did. Back in New York, I guess you could say I was the bad girl… and here Dimitri was the point of curiosity. Everyone wanted to get to know him, they wanted to know what he was like… and he didn't let anyone in. Yeah, I _definitely _knew the feeling.

"Hey Rose, that's printed." Christian said, giving me a half smile.

"Thanks again." I said, ruffling his hair before walking towards the printer. My mind went to Christian… _God,_ that kid seriously needed to lighten up, he was just so… tense all the time. I wondered whether it was just today or whether he was like that permanently. Grabbing the sheet, and spun around and not realising what I was doing, I was walked straight into some built football player in the school's leather jacket, with a huge SVA on the breast.

I back away. "God, sorry." I apologised and turned to walk away, not looking at his face. As I turned, his hand clamped around my wrist, pulling me back, forcing me to look into his face.

Wow.

Yeah, he was a definite hottie. No god damn doubt about that. He obviously realized my admiration because he gave me a gorgeous smile, his straight white teeth contrasting against his even tan. His jet black hair was shiny and short giving me a perfect view of his beautiful face and dark brown eyes. And don't even get me started on the body. Let me just say muscles. And lots of them.

"Hey, you're Eddie's sister…right?" He asked, his voice was like music.

"Yeah," I said, giving him one of my very best smiles. "Rose Hathaway."

"Oh I know who you are," He said with a charming smile, "I'm Ambrose Cassidy."

I smiled again, "It was nice to meet you." I said, my voice slightly flirty, but not too much, seeing as how we were standing in the middle of a classroom.

I turned to walk away when he grabbed my wrist again. Boy that could become annoying. "Am…Rose, do you think you could maybe go out with me sometime?" He said, and I could see from his beautiful eyes that he had done this about a million times. Yes, I wanted to accept so much but without Abe's consent? I wasn't going to take the chance.

"Sorry, I have a boyfriend." I said, not sure whether I was lying or not. My relationship was still…complicated. I expected him to drop my hand like it was scolding iron, but if anything he held on tighter and brought me closer to his muscled body.

"That doesn't bother me…much." He said, his gorgeous, sexy eyes twinkling.

"Yeah? Well, it bothers me. So back off." I growled, pushing him away from me. His smile dropped and he looked utterly shock. I was willing to bet any chance of freedom I may have, that he wasn't used to getting turned down. Fucking pretty boy.

I turned around, and this time he didn't grab my wrist. I sat back down in my station and Tasha was looking at me, impressed.

"You're going to be glad you turned him down," Tasha said with a low whistle, "Rumour says he knocked up some chick last year, and he doesn't visit the kid or anything, but even if that isn't true… there's one thing that is. Ambrose Cassidy is a man whore."

I snorted in amusement and continued my work.

Sooner than I wanted, the bell rang indicating that I should get my sorry ass home. With a sigh I picked up my books and threw them into my bag, storming out of the classroom, perfectly aware that Lissa Dragomir's gaze followed me the whole way.

My head stayed down as students gazed curiously at me. I tried to think of what I would have usually done in this situation, probably give them all something to stare at by making a scene, but no matter what I had told Eddie about liking who I was before I came to California, it was all bullshit. Yeah it was fun and whatever and maybe I did miss it, but I just didn't find things as funny as I used to. Another thing that was keeping me on edge was the fact that I hadn't taken any drugs within the past three days, and I was by no means an addict but I still desired some crack or dope, something to get me through the day…and don't even get me started on my cigarettes. I had nicotine withdrawal, big time.

I continued to sulk until I left the school building, finally lifting my head. Right in front of me, was the huge Oak tree that I had sat with Mason at lunch and the tree that I was to wait for my lift. I kept my bag firm on my shoulder and waited like a complete fool as I watched other people my age jump into their own cars. I continued to sulk until I heard a familiar voice.

"Oh my God! Rose!" Tasha screamed, skating over to me on her skateboard. She skitted to a stop when she reached my feet, but her eyes blazed with excitement and happiness.

"Hey." I replied, keeping sharp eyes out for my brother.

"Rose, I need you to meet Dimitri, he was walking towards his car and if were fast enough we might catch him!" She seemed far more excited than she should have, and I probably wasn't assuming when I said that she was stoned. I was so close to asking her for something of what she had, whatever it was.

She didn't give me time to ask though, as she grabbed my wrist and pulled me and she tucked her black and red skateboard under her arm. Her long strides almost sent me flying onto my face, my short legs not able to keep up. The wind blew into her messy, black cut and realised that she had her beany hat clenched tightly in her fist.

As we passed all the students, they all looked to one direction and it wasn't me. All heads were turned towards a huge crowd surrounding a Harley motorbike. I tried to stand on my tippy toes so that I could see over every ones head, but with the joys of being small, the only thing I could see was the hair neck of some disgustingly big-foot like girl.

"Excuse me, Sexy ladies coming through!" Tasha yelled pushing through the huge crowds of people. I choked on a laugh as some guys turned around to look at the 'sexy ladies'. I gave them a look as if to say 'yeah right!' and then proceeded to walk through the crowd.

Finally, after being squashed to a pulp, we made it through. Towards the front, I saw Mia, Lissa and Avery but no sign of Sonya. They were all linked with their phones out, glancing towards the motorbike, finally I let my eyes roam to the bike and at first I was brought with a sense of nostalgia as I remembered my own bike in New York, but as soon as I got over it, I allowed myself to take in the beauty of the machine. It had mucked splashed along the side and stuck unto the wheels, and it looked as though it was very much used by its owner, but it was a new model and honestly, it was hot.

"DIMKA!" Tasha screamed, running forward as she held tightly onto my wrist. Again, I almost went flying onto my face.

I snatched my hand as fast I could from Tasha's iron grip when I saw the infamous Dimitri Belikov. The first thing I noticed, was the fact that he was tall…extremely tall, probably around 6ft 7 or 8 and his body was thick with wired, hot muscle as it pressed tightly against his grey shirt. His long legs were confined by ripped jeans made of dark denim and his boots were worn, but incredibly hot. Around his broad shoulders and muscled torso was a leather jacket which was jet black in colour, the collar of which touched the bottom of his sexy, chin length brown hair. It was messy and in a disarray, but it worked for him. He kind of looked like he had just had a twelve hour sex marathon and was ready for more. I let my eyes rise to his face. He had a chiselled, sharp jaw and a straight even nose, his mouth was plump and totally kissable, then there were his eyes. Once I met them, I wasn't able to remove my gaze. His glare was firm on me as I assessed his beautiful, endless eyes made of the most sexy, mysterious brown, I was entranced immediately. His sharp leer was tight on my face.

"Tasha." He said as though he was confirming something, finally his evil eyes left my face and I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from above my head. His voice was musical and somewhat rough. He had slight accent that I couldn't place, but it was sexy as hell. His 'devil-may-care' attitude was intriguing and he honestly looked at though he didn't give two fucks about anything around him. He didn't pay any attention to the swooning girls surrounding his bike and he certainly didn't pay any attention to the jocks or other guys who ogled him as they thought 'what does he have, that I don't?'

Tasha grabbed hold of my arm yet again as she tugged me closer. I felt a hug urge to turn my back and walked away, feeling as though I was interrupting something that had nothing to do with me. I felt like I was invading.

"This is the new chick, and my new friend, Rosemarie Mazur." Dimitri's eyes blazed into mine, and the expression was astonishing. The venom dripping from his beautiful pupils almost scared me half to death, the stinging gaze he presented to me was terrifying and all I could think of was _this guy hates me._

"Mazur, huh?" He asked, as he leaned against his beautiful bike as he dug around his pockets. Soon enough he lifted out a black lighter and a packet of cigarettes. He lit one up and pressed it to his lips as he inhaled, the fumes knocking me of the face like a two tonne truck. He leaned confidently against his bike, his boots stood firm on the ground.

"Uh, no. Hathaway." I choked, after a few seconds of gathering courage. His acid eyes stuck to me and he seemed disgusted as he scanned my fear filled face.

Tasha tapped my arm, making me snap my gaze from his. "Same thing, she's that rich Mazur mother fucker's kid, you know the one who lives in that huge house beside the beach?"

"I'm aware." He growled lowly, his brown, dark eyes almost warning Tasha to stop talking. Tasha nodded her head but gave him a strange look as he stomped out his finished cigarette. He climbed onto his bike and revved the clutch before the crowd separated. He held tightly onto the breaks and clutch. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tash." He said, giving her a cheeky grin, she replied with an impish smirk of her own as he released his clutch, zooming out of the car park, a cloud of dust gathering behind him as he completely ignored me.

"Hey, ah…I'm going to head home, okay?" I said to Tasha, avoiding her happy gaze.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." She said, keeping her eyes firm on where Dimitri had skidded out. "How awesome is he? He may be a little tense at first but-"

"Tasha, I need to go, I'll talk to you later." I said, not wanting to admit that I felt Dimitri just wasn't tense towards me, but he properly hated me. I didn't even know where to begin to think of the reasons. His poisonous words slapped me hard and left me asking questions. What had I done?

"Oh, okay cupcake." She said, her happy buzz continuing. Before I could snatch my hand away, she grabbed my wrist and started digging around her back pack. I thought she was going to stab me based on the manic expression on her beautiful face, but I was proved wrong when she pulled out a thick black marker, and began writing on my arm. "That's my phone number, call me later biatch."

With that, she stood on her board and skated away from me as all the students evaporated from the grounds. I turned around to walk towards the oak tree to see Eddie already waiting there, swinging the car keys in his hands. I felt an ugly frown find its way to my face when I saw the pack of sluts he was talking to. Sonya, Avery and Lissa were leaning against the tree, each and every one of their heads titled slightly as they flirted with my brother.

"Ed." I mumbled angrily, trying to hide Tasha's clearly visible number on my arm as I tried to disguise my distaste at his 'friends'.

"Oh, hey Rose." He said, looking away from his little posse. He turned back around and looked at the three girls with a smile. "Guys, this is my sister I was telling you about."

I let my eyes snap to the tramps as their lifeless eyes scanned me. Avery had a false smile on her face, Sonya didn't even pretend to be nice she just looked at me with an ugly glare and Lissa assessed me, looking curious among anything else.

"Hey, I'm Lissa." She said, giving me a small smile, but I could see from her eyes that she didn't entirely trust me.

"Hey." I said distastefully and I could hear rather than see Eddie sigh in frustration. I turned to my brother and my angry eyes snapped to his anxious face. "Can we go now? Abe said I had to be home."

"Yeah, coming, you go on ahead." He clicked a button on his keys and I saw his car flash as the doors opened, I walked in the direction of the Mercedes and I could scarcely here him apologize as he said 'She doesn't usually act like this, I promise, just give her time to adjust." I didn't act like this? Yeah, because I was worse.

I opened the car and hopped inside, waiting for my brother to hurry up. Finally, after what felt like years, Eddie walked over to his car an angry expression on his face. He jumped inside and started the engine immediately. He started driving and I sat mesmerized as the wind blew across my hot face. Eddie looked pissed and didn't bother to put on music, so I did, turning on something horrible that resembled anything but good music, but it kept the silence away, so I was all for it.

I watched outside as everyone departed from school and before I knew it we were near the beach beside our home. I saw that familiar black motorbike with the mud splattered along the side beside the beach and soon enough I felt the gaze of piercing daggers upon me. My eyes snapped to where I thought they could be found, and Eddie drove faster as I had the image of hungry, hate filled, beautiful eyes piercing mine.

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**Again, I value all your ideas on what you think will happen, so please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter :)**

**Thank you :D**

**Al xo  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for all your reviews, they mean so much xD Okay, few things I want to make clear. Abe and Janine were married, but are divorced. Rose and Eddie ARE the same age but Eddie is a few months older. Christian and Tasha are twins..(like my other story) and I wanted to correct something i said in the first chapter. I said that Roses best friend in NYC was Mia.. but that was a mistake, i was meant to say Jill, so sorry for that. **

**Anyway, please enjoy the chapter and let me know what you thought. I love to hear your ideas.**

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**Chapter three- **_The pain was more than physical.  
_

**"If you're going through hell, keep going!"~Winston Churchill**_  
_

Eddie's car parked outside our grand house, the bright light bouncing off the many windows and star like twinkles sparkled in the pool like a group of beautiful diamonds. I jumped out of the car before Eddie could say anything to me, but no matter how fast I walked, I still heard his accusing tone.

"You could at least _try _and be civil towards people." He spat, slamming his car door with the force of three trucks. I spun around and glared at him, feeling my easily accessed anger build. "I may be pissing you off now because you think I'm being protective, but it's for _good _reason!"

"Really? Because the more I look at it, the more I come to believe that your just acting like Abe, and that isn't a compliment, golden boy." I growled, folding my arms. It was probably far later than four o'clock but I didn't give a fuck. We were outside the house, Eddie had done his job.

"You know, I don't know why you're hating on Dad like this," My brother said, walking closer to me his frustration building with every step. "There is a reason for the way he's behaving and that's because he's trying to look out for you!"

"What by treating me like I'm a fucking criminal?" I said, feeling sick to the core. Eddie and I never, ever fought and I hated for that sick, sorry excuse of a father to come in between us.

"YOU ARE A CRIMINAL ROSE!" Eddie yelled, his hands grasping into his hair in pain and frustration. His eyes glistened as if tears where building behind his eyes. "You almost _killed _a man and you have a criminal record, isn't that enough? Why do you go looking for trouble when all I'm trying to do is keep you save?" His voice had inflated to a small, sad whimper as the tears continued to build in his eyes.

I felt a build up of guilt in my gut as I watched my brothers face. It was more than just letting him down, it was far more than that. How could he hold those things over my head? I thought about that innocent man everyday, sometimes more than once. How I had almost taken his life, how heartbroken his family must be.

"I don't go looking for trouble," I protested, tightening my folded arms. "I go looking for fun, for excitement, something I don't seem to be able to have, now that I'm here and stuck with that prestigious bastard. I feel like I have no fucking freedom!"

"Would you rather you were in prison?" He asked me in return, his scrutinizing eyes piercing me as he awaited my answer. "Because if it wasn't for _Dad, _that's exactly where you would be. You got lucky."

"Oh really?" I said sarcastically. "_I _got it lucky? Well forgive me if I don't see it that way. _You _were the one who was spoilt rotten by Abe, _You're _the golden boy and nothing you do is bad, nothing! Whilst you were here, growing up with a _fucking _silver spoon in your mouth, I was living with my poor, unemployed mom as we waited for some money and if that didn't miraculously show up we were evicted, and you think I got lucky? _You're _the one who got lucky!"

"Don't turn this around on me Rose." Eddie warned, both of us getting angrier by the second. Quite frankly I was surprised Abe hadn't come out yet.

"Well why not? You're picking on me for no God damned reason!" I growled, my angry eyes leering at my older brother. "It's not my fault that I don't like your stupid, fucking friends. Don't go and yell at me just because I don't want to walk around with a skirt half way up my ass and have as much plastic surgery as I can. That's not me, and it never will be."

"You don't _have _to do all that shit Rose." Eddie said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb.

"They won't accept me unless I do all that shit, and you know it." I said truthfully as I watched him squirm under my glare. "You know, at least when I'm with Tasha I get judged on the content of my character, not where the fuck I bought my shoes or purse."

With that, I tightened my God damned stupid purse over my shoulder and I opened the big doors, bringing me to the grand foyer. I walked in, leaving Eddie outside, to realise that the house was unusually quiet. I walked to my father's study, wondering where he was but I couldn't see or hear anything apart from the loud clicks of my shoes. I walked slowly up the stairs just as Eddie opened the front door, I turned around and glared at him, he met my eyes once before huffing and storming off into the direction of the library.

I continued to walk to my bedroom when I spotted Corina outside my door, a stern expression on her face. I looked at her once and then tried to get past her, once she didn't move I stopped and stared.

"Uh, Corina?" I mumbled lowly. "Could I get through?"

"One moment Ma'am," She said loudly and firmly, her Romanian accent broad and thick. "I have a message that Mr Ibrahim asked me give you." Her English was incredibly bad.

"Ah…okay?"

She actually lifted out a piece of paper and started reading in a monosyllabic and monotone voice. "Your piano lessons have been postponed until six pm and you are to stay in your bedroom until your father and step-mother arrive home from Mr Dragomirs party, which will be around two am."

"Are you serious?" I scoffed, not able to believe this. "I have to stay in my room for eleven hours?"

Corina nodded her head, her neat brown hair tied tightly into a bun. "Master Edison must get dressed into his best tux and Corina needs to help him. You go to your room and Corina will be up to guard you soon."

Guard me soon? And piano lessons to top that off? Again, a great example of bad child discrimination. Eddie was allowed to go to this stupid party thing and I wasn't. Not that I wanted to go to Lissa's Dad's party…but it was the principle.

I guess all I had to do until my stupid lessons, was wait, so I did just that, walking into my bedroom and planting face first into the bed. Like all my time in LA my mind was filled with stupid thoughts about stupid things. One thing on my mind was smoke, drugs, alcohol and sex. Okay, it was more than one thing, but everything was so muddled. It was times like these that I would walk out of our apartment in Brooklyn and just go with the flow and probably end up drunk and with some guy. They were hard times to let go but I knew that I wanted to…lighten up this load of desire off my head, but I knew it wouldn't happen over night. I knew that it would take so, so much time for me to get over everything I was used to. I started drinking at the age of fourteen, smoking the same age. I didn't start the drugs and sex until I was fifteen, but even then, three years is a long time. Addiction was some bad shit, shit that I needed to deal with unfortunately. I knew that stopping all together was unrealistic, but I was going to loosen up. Or, I would try to.

But even saying that, the urge to just leave the fucked up prison house was so great and I literally had to mentally restrain myself. It was just that even if I deserved it, I felt like everyone was being so hard on me, everyone expected the worse from me. I was a disappointment, and being somewhere that you're not wanted, a place you don't feel safe in, a place where everyone surrounding you looks at you as if you're a crazy mess that's just going to ruin everything…well, it hurt. A lot. Every time I looked at my father, and I got passed the hatred, I could feel this sense of determination behind me, as if I wanted to prove him wrong about me, prove that I wasn't just a crack head slut but that I was actually worth something, I was worth his love. I wanted to make my Dad proud, no matter how much I seemed to hate his guts.

I signed into my pillows and looked at the huge clock that hung above my walk in closet. It was already quarter past five and I knew that I had to get my sorry ass up soon to get those stupid lessons. I looked down at my clothes, all wrinkled because I had been lying in a pile of blankets so I stood up, kicking off my heels and I started walking towards my closet hoping to God that there was something mildly attractive in there and hopefully that didn't make me look like, and I quote 'A walking cupcake'. Lucky for me, after fifteen minutes of searching, I found a grey and black baggy top that showed a corner of my stomach and fell down my shoulder, obviously meant for the beach or something, but I didn't care. I also found grey skinny jeans made with black stitching and even I had to admit they were hot and the only shoes I could find to match where black high heels. The outfit seemed a little too dressy just to be sitting in my room by myself, but I didn't care, I continued to fix my hair and reapply my makeup. Might as well, seeing as how Abe wasn't going to be in.

I heard car doors opening and closing, so I walked to my huge windows to look out at the beautiful garden, catching Eddie drive out, looking ridiculous in his monkey suit. I sulked down stairs to see Corina waiting impatiently by the door, that crumpled piece of paper in her hand, obviously demands that the piano teacher was to abide whilst under the Mazur roof.

I rolled my eyes as I walked towards the long hallways leading to the large, exquisite kitchen. As soon as my heels hit the cold tiles, I marched towards the fridge, grabbing the first thing insight which just so happened to be a small carton of chilli pasta. I grabbed a fork and started beating it into me, lifting out the milk for a drink. I guzzled it down, not giving a fuck about the fact that there was no glass.

I heard Corina squeak, even though I was quite far away, as I heard the front door rap with loud thuds. I threw out the pasta box and put away the milk, fixing my hair as I started walking in the direction to the marble foyer. As soon as I entered, I was introduced to a familiar smiling face. His blonde hair and jade green eyes matching beautifully with the generous smile on his gorgeous lips. It was Andre Dragomir.

"Oh, this is quite funny." Andre snickered, looking me up and down, obviously enjoying what he saw.

"Hmm, I'd say more ironic." I sneered, folding my arms, my t-shirt lifting up a little to show a slither of stomach, his eyes snapped immediately to the exposed skin and that beautiful smile turned into a hungry smirk.

"So, I am to be your teacher and you my student, no?" He said, walking towards me, a black folder tight in his grasp. His confident smirk stayed stitched onto his lips and Corina stood in the corner watching us curiously.

"Looks like it." I said humorously, leaning against the banisters of the grand, white marble stairs, my eyes not once leaving the beautiful man before me. He smirked again and just watched me, his intense green eyes watching me closely, like he could catch any of my movements with those intriguing jade green orbs. He was looking at me so carefully; I actually thought he was going to eat me. I needed to make conversation.

"Shouldn't you be at your Dad's party?" I said slowly, watching his smile drop.

"I don't really like all that sensible partying. And I really don't like tuxes." He smirked, an amused grin upon his beautiful face.

"Fair enough," I said, releasing my arms from their iron fold. "Well… the music rooms this way." I said awkwardly, leading the way.

God, was it wrong that I really just wanted to grab him by the shirt, press him against a wall and just kiss the fuck clean out of him? I was actually beginning to think I had a sex addiction, no joke, but I couldn't help the wild sexual attraction I was feeling towards him at that moment. I let my neck turn around so that I could look at him. He was kind of sexily staring at my butt.

His long blonde hair brushed just past his eyes and it was messy and soft looking, peaking from the softness was his stunning jade green eyes, supported by the thickest of black eyelashes. His high cheekbones and strong jaw surrounded his soft, slightly pink lips amazingly. God…he was so hot. His tall frame was slightly muscled…and unintentionally or not, I started to compare him to the beautiful guy that seemed to hate me so much. Yeah…Dimitri was hotter, but I still like what I saw.

His eyes snapped to mine once he felt my gaze and I looked away feeling a little flushed. Usually around guys I had this scary confidence, but for some reason this guy made me feel like an inexperienced virginal child, when I was anything but.

Finally we reached the music room and like always, I took in the awesomeness of it all. Instruments were splattered all around the room, and I knew that somewhere in this room, there was an acoustic guitar that I had permission to use.

"Wow, this is pretty impressive." Andre said, blowing a low, loud whistle.

"Yeah, Abe's kind of obsessed with… instruments." _Really, Rose?_ _What are you, a stuttering fool?_

Andre seemed to find my stupidity cute though, because he gave me a soft smile and a musical chuckle. "I realised…Shall we get started?"

"Uh, sure." I said, marching over to the piano, leaning against it as he sat down on the little cushioned seat, resting his beautiful long fingers upon the white keys. "If you don't mind me asking why you are teaching piano lessons, it's not like you need the money."

"You're right. I don't need the money." Andre said, moving his fingers to pat the seat next to him. I walked over and planted my ass next to him, earning myself a sexy smile. "But I do need my degree. Music is my major in CU, and taking up students in need? Well that looks good on my résumé."

"Ah, I see," I said jokingly, my own cute smile upon my lips. "And here I was, thinking you were doing it for the 'students in need'."

"Yeah, well there's that too," He replied, that same smirk stitched to his gorgeous face. "Especially when my student ends up being a gorgeous, sexy girl." He winked at me then.

I smirked and ran a hand through my perfectly done hair, his eyes following my hand movements. I tried to concentrate on not making a fool out of myself, so I pointed towards the piano. "Shall we get started?"

He looked momentarily shocked before he cleared his throat and nodded his head, resting his hands once more, on the clean white keys. "Yeah, sure…Uh, have you much experience in playing the piano?"

And the torture began.

After two hours of severe embarrassment, I found out I had no talent or interest in playing the piano. Yeah, it was hot when guys could play it and whatever, but I think I was going to stick to playing the guitar. It was more my thing. I hit so many wrong keys and even though I did play some instruments there is no way on gods earth that I could read sheet music. He was placing all these pieces of paper in front of me, asking me learn to the keys for our next lesson. To be quite truthful, I felt as though he was punishing me for not pursuing to flirt.

It had been about half an hour after Andre had left, that I sulked up to room and lay on my bed in severe boredom. I was looking at my reflection in the mirror, and there I was sprawled all over the covers looking like I was half bored to death. Then, black ink caught my eye. It was Tasha's number. I decided to take a chance as I walked out of my room and into Abe's. I wasn't allowed a cell phone, just encase I contacted any of my friends from New York and I didn't want to get caught talking on the phone down stairs. The room closest to mine was Abe's and Holly's so I decided to go there instead.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the room was silk…and lots of it. The room was beautiful and obviously very, very expensive. Silk curtains draped from the thick mahogany curtain pole and their grand, king size bed looking comfortable enough to live in. It was a gorgeous room. After my admiring room gazing, I decided to look for a phone and sooner than expected I found one on Abe's bedside table. I picked the black device up, holding my arm before my gaze as I dialled Tasha's number.

I pressed the phone to my ear, to hear constant ringing. It had rang about six times and suddenly I felt this nervous gut wrenching feeling and just as I was about to hang up, she answered.

"Congrats, you've reached the Sex Goddess." She said, her voice sounding slightly cheerful and I heard noise in the background and I knew she was outside. I snorted at her greeting.

"Hey Sex Goddess, it's the Hot Cupcake." I replied with a grin.

"Eugh, we've only been talking for literally two seconds and we already sound like one of those porn call things." She gave a really unattractive burp into the receiver, before sighing. "How can I help you Cupcake?"

"You can talk to me," I said sheepishly. "Abe's away out to that stupid Dragomir party and he forbade me to leave my room. I have officially surpassed the border of extreme boredom and am now wobbling on the line of severe suicide."

"Aw, poor you," She replied and I could almost see the grin on her mouth as her tattooed hand clenched onto the phone. "Talk, I can do."

"Okay, so what're you doing?" I asked, flopping down on Abe's bed, sinking into the softness.

"Just chilling with Christian," She said evenly, portraying no emotion.

"Having fun?"

"Much more than you anyway, cupcake." I scowled, based on the fact that she was one hundred percent right. "Hey, want me and the dipshit to come up to your house?"

"What? No, no-"

"It's settled then, see you soon." She said with a bounce to her voice as she hung up.

I glared at the phone as I placed it back to where it was. How was I going to explain this to Corina? She was obviously going to tell Abe and he wouldn't be happy, not one bit. He would ask Eddie who she was and then I was fucked. I couldn't risk getting kicked out, not now.

I paced my room for quite a while as I thought of a plan, but nothing was coming to mind. I tried to imagine the situation…maybe I could pretend that Tasha was giving me my book that I left in school or something. Corina was dim, it was my father and his clever mind that I was freaking out about. I didn't doubt the man one bit when he said that he would kick me out if I stepped out of line once.

I looked again after the sixty billionth time at the clock hanging above my closet, to see that it was quarter to eight. It had been half an hour since I had called Tasha and I knew that she would be at my door soon. Again, the pacing continued.

I sat on my bed and put my face in my hands as I tried to calm myself down. After about ten minutes of sulking and worrying on my bed I heard a small and low tapping noise. It wasn't big enough to be the door rapping, so I knew it wasn't the her at the front door, but I walked towards my bedroom doorway just encase Corina was there, but the hallways were empty, the only eyes watching me where the sharp, scary eyes of the exquisite pieces of art hanging around the long, narrow hallway. I walked back into my bedroom, closing the door behind me as I walked quietly to stand near my bed. I thought the tapping had stopped until I heard it again, sharper and louder this time. Finally my eyes snapped to the window, just as a little white pebble hit it.

I strolled to the large window, opening it and looking down to see Tasha and Christian, both of their hands full of little white pebbles.

"O' Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo!" Tasha whispered loudly dropping to her knee, her arms out stretched towards me. I rolled my eyes.

"You've got the whole thing wrong, you freak." I said normally, my voice thick of amusement. "It was Juliet up on the balcony, not Romeo. If anything, I should be saying that line."

Tasha stood up again, brushing pieces of grass of her black skinny jeans. She looked up at me again a cheeky smirk on her face. "Well, I'm not exactly a fan of Billy Shakespeare, darling. It was the thought that counts."

"And the thought was appreciated." I said, leaning out so that I could sit on the window sill. Underneath me, I could see there was a little roof and then the terrace. I didn't like being this high up and I felt as though I was going to go flying into Christian.

"Well, I appreciate the appreciation." She replied, obviously wanting to get the last word. I just rolled my eyes and let her have the satisfaction. We just looked at each other and Tasha glared at me expectantly. "Well? You coming down or not?"

"What?" I asked, completely shocked. "You don't want to come inside?"

She scoffed and almost choked on her laugh. "I'd rather prick my eye with a needle, cupcake. I'm not one for socializing with the rich folk over tea and scones if you know what I mean." Yes I did, she was insulting my rich family, but I myself, found it quite amusing.

"I can't come down," I said sadly. "If Corina sees me, she'll tell Abe and I'll be fucked."

"Okay," Christian finally said, dragging out the 'o'. "Climb down the terrace… and hurry we have places to be."

"Christ is right." Christian glared at Tasha for giving him the nickname and I found my self snickering. Christian, the Saviour.

"Okay, hold on. I've got heels on so this might take a while." I stood and slowly allowed myself to drop onto the roof. I slowly walked towards the terrace, thick with roses and some other ugly flowers. I turned my back to my friends and let my left leg touch the wooden terrace first, slowly but surely climbing down. Finally, after playing my death over and over again in my head, I reached the bottom, my heels digging straight into the dirt.

"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to stand on my tippy toes as we crept out of the Mazur Manor. I was extremely curious as to how Tasha and Christian made it passed the guard at the gates, but decided to keep my ignorance.

"A few guys I know are lighting up a fire down by the beach." Tasha replied, folding her arms from the slight ocean breeze. I looked at the direction of the water, and sure enough I saw a faint orange glow. I quickly looked behind me as we walked to the gates, hoping the no one had seen me yet.

"Wait, wait!" I whispered loudly. Tasha and Christian stopped in their tracks and looked at me. "I can't go to the gate; the guard will tell my Dad that I left."

Christian's eyes lit up as if he had come up with something. "Okay, I can distract him but you need to run out as fast as possible while Tasha and I try to get him away."

"I can do that." I said, not being able to stop snapping my head back to the massive house, praying to God that Corina didn't decide to check up on me. The paranoia was driving me insane and I thought I was going to be sick.

We walked over towards the gate as I stayed in the shadows, still praying that I didn't get caught. Was going out sit out by a fire on the beach really worth me losing everything I had?

"Okay, get ready to run. Oh! Before you do, what's your little maid's name, the one with the brown hair?" Tasha asked, looking intently at me.

"Corina."

"Okay, go hide and get ready to run like the wind, cupcake." She replied, a huge grin on her face showing her gorgeous, even teeth. I didn't want to know why Tasha asked; though I had a sneaking suspicious Tasha thought had gained herself a crush.

I sighed, my breath shaky and paranoid. I crept to hide in a bush as Tasha and Christian walked over to the gates. They were talking to the fat, balding guard for a while, while branches stuck in every inch of my body, until the man got a weird expression on his face and strolled off without another word. I didn't give any time to consider what I might happen, I just stood and ran as fast as my four inch heels would allow me. Finally, I got to the large iron gates and they automatically opened. I looked behind me to see Christian sitting in the little booth pressing the button that opened the gate and Tasha running as fast as she could; only she ran faster than me, seeing as how she changed her sexy black boots into black converse. Within seconds, she was by my side, motioning for Christian to join us. He left the booth, and ran towards us, never looking back.

"How did you get him to move?" I asked, astonished.

"I told him I saw something suspicious in the bushes beside the living room, and that if any of the Mazur losers got hurt, he would lose his job and would get gang raped in prison." She said as she casually began walking in the direction of the beach.

"Tasha, have I told you how charming you are?" I said, a laugh playing in my throat.

"There's no need to tell me Cupcake," She said, twisting her head to look at me and Christian, who was walking beside me. "I get told many times a day, plus, you'd kind of be stating the obvious."

I heard Christian scoff beside me, resulting in Tasha swatting him across the head. I chuckled loudly as we continued to walk. Even with heels on, Tasha was taller than me, I felt like a midget compared to the twins, whilst they stood tall, I was a tiny dwarf. In heels, I reached Tasha's nose and Christians chin.

As I lived right next to the beach, we were there within seconds and I could see the orange blaze of the fire more clearly, also about ten people crowded around the fire, each of them sitting on the sand. I looked at the ocean. The waves were a little vicious and the reflection of the moon bounced of the dark water beautifully.

Soon, we approached the crowd. I noticed a small mousy haired girl, Tasha and I were the only girls.

"S'up mother fuckers?" Tasha said cheerfully, plopping herself onto the sand. All the guys smiled at her fondly and then glanced at me in curiosity. I didn't recognise any of them, so they didn't go to St. Vladimir's. "This is my bitch, Rosemarie Hathaway." I was glad she didn't call me Mazur or even mention my heritage. "She's that rich fucker's kid." I spoke too soon.

"Your old man Mazur's daughter, huh?" Some tall guy with dark black-blue eyes said.

"Uh, yeah. I am…unfortunately." I said sheepishly, fixing my hair. I was glad I had put makeup on, but was seriously regretting the high heels as they burrowed straight into the sand.

"I'm Denis; it's nice to meet you." He said, a cute smile tugged at his lips as he pressed a beer bottle to his lips. I took a look around the other guys and Tasha…each of them were either smoking something or drinking. I looked at the mousy haired girl before sitting down next to Christian and Tasha.

"Hey…" I heard a soft voice say, I turned my head to see the girl smiling at me. "I'm Natalie Dashkov." She held out her hand, and I took it.

"Rose Hathaway."

"Yeah, I know." She said with a smile. "We should have already been introduced. I sit with Tasha and Christian at lunch, but I couldn't make it today…was at the library."

"Well maybe we can talk tomorrow at lunch?" I said, giving her a soft smile. She had a beautiful smile as she readjusted her glasses and ran a hand through her bone straight hair.

"That would be great." She said, not able to wipe that smile of her face.

I turned back around to see Tasha staring at me intently. "You look different." She said, her eyes slightly squinted as she assessed me.

"Uh…I'm wearing clothes I actually picked out for myself, my hair is down and I'm wearing makeup." I said with a little sarcastic laugh. Oh, my life sucked.

"Well, you look hot." She said, taking a draw of her pot. I knew it was marijuana purely on the fact of the familiar smell. I swallowed as I tried to ignore the smoke hitting me on the face.

"I agree!" Some drunken guy yelled a little too loudly, giving me a wink when I looked his way.

At that moment I heard an engine roar and my head snapped behind me to see where the loud noise was coming from. As soon as my eyes made contact with the area behind me, I was instantly blinded by a bright light. I pressed my hand against my eyes to keep my eyesight as the lights shone from the black motorbike. It stopped literally inches in front of me, yet I was too terrified to scream. My eyes continued to be blinded by the bright, bright light, but yet again I couldn't move.

"Dimitri! Cut it out you fucking prick!" I heard Tasha scream, then I heard the sound of hands smacking across leather.

Yay. Dimitri was here.

I had decided something within that minute. He treated me like I was a piece of shit, so I was going to exactly the same thing. I was going to be the _real _Rose around him; I wasn't going to play nice with him, no fucking way. If he wanted me to treat him with respect, then he had to do the same….Which would never happen.

Finally, Tasha stopped hitting Dickitri as he turned off the lights, a very amused grin on his face yet his eyes stayed the same violent black, exactly the same colour as the black water. He stopped glaring at me to look at Natalie next to me.

"Long time no see, Tali." Natalie went a bright red and she cleared her throat.

"Yeah, right back atca." I could see that she tried to personify confidence, just as Dimitri had, his voice radiating an almost cocky confidence, but she lacked anything Dimitri had and just sounded like she was putting on an act… or was just incredibly shy.

Dimitri, instead of rolling his eyes like I would have, gave her a slight smile and climbed off his bike, the very same bike that I had spotted driving home with Eddie. He ignored me completely as he silently sat down next to Denis and picked up a bottle of beer which lay in a cooler.

He ignored me as I assessed him, my eyes going straight to his body. He was wearing a black Nirvana top which pressed against his amazing muscles, slightly making me drool. His broad shoulders looked amazing and the same could be said for his ass, which I had seen moments ago. His messy, sex hair covered his steamy, sexy eyes and even though he pissed me off, I could appreciate the sexiness of his cocky smirk, like he was this…Sex God.

I suddenly felt a huge urge to go home.

"Want some?" Christian said from beside me, his voice slower and relaxed. I turned around to look at him, to see that he was closer than necessary, holding up pot for me to smoke. I sneaked a peek at Dimitri to see him glaring at Christian and me.

"Chris, that isn't a good idea man." He growled quietly as if he was giving a dangerous warning. "I got that for the group, which she isn't a part off." I hadn't even agreed to smoke any, but now I really, really wanted to, just to piss the fucker off.

"Hand it over." I said, Christian immediately placed the bag in my hand as he and Tasha glared at the bad boy in disbelief and anger. I took some rolling paper and a little tobacco, taking many pinches of marijuana and adding it to my little cigarette. I rolled it all over, licking the paper so that it would stick, not once taking my gaze of the wanker who was staring straight at me, his black eyes darkening. I took the silver lighter off Christian as I put the small stick in my mouth. Once it was lit up I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes as I did so. Once I pressed it in between my fingers, I was brought a sense of relaxation, so I didn't mind when Dimitri seemed to growl.

"Anybody else want some?" I sang, holding the small bag above my head, not giving the slightest care that it was Dimitri's pot and I was giving it away like candy, even though it could have cost him a lot of money.

"I'll take some, Cupcake!" Tasha said, snatching the bag from my relaxed, limp fingers. I continued to smoke as Natalie handed me a bottle of beer. I ripped off the lid with my teeth, hearing the immediate pop and fizz of the beer and took a few gulps off the alcohol.

It was extremely comfortable sitting in front of the fire, listening to the ocean smash against the shore with Christians arms around me. He was fidgeting with his hand a little, but otherwise was very much relaxed due to his weed.

Everyone was talking in their own little circles and Tasha was fiddling around with her phone as she put on some good music. She left her phone beside Christian and then stood up, dancing around the fire like a loon. I couldn't help it, I laughed extremely loudly as she held her hands over her head and turned around in circles.

She suddenly stopped after five minutes of non stop spinning, and she stared right at me, her eyes wide and mouth agape. She then widely took of her top, swinging it above her head, exposing her amazing tattoos across her toned stomach…Then I realised what song was playing. 'I'm too sexy' by Right Said Fred. Why the hell did she have that on her phone?

Immediately the guys around the fire started cheering and she loved the attention. She walked over to Dimitri and stole his vodka, which he held loosely in his grip. Tasha earned herself a dangerous glare as she started guzzling back his alcohol. She handed it back, with much less drink in it then there had been and she shimmied over to me, shaking her hips and she bent down.

"Rose is too sexy for her shirt, aren't you Cupcake?" She said, grabbing my arms and pulling me up. She was stronger than she looked.

"No, no…" I said slowly. "I just want to sit."

"Oh come on, _dance with me!_" She moaned, spinning around me sexily. All the guys were laughing there heads off as Tasha danced around me, holding her pot filled cigarette in her hand. I giggled and held onto Tasha's arms as I started dancing, I kicked off my high heels and let the sand go in between my toes. I didn't even care that Tasha towered over my 5ft 4 or 5 inches, I was just having a good time, trying my best to ignore Dickitri, who was staring at me angrily. I wanted him to insult me or something so that I could unleash myself upon him…and I didn't mean the good way.

We continued to dance and eventually Denis stood up and spun me around him as he grabbed my hand, he was closely followed by Natalie and Christian both of them being harassed by a high Tasha. I continued to drink my seventh beer as the fast music picked up pace. Soon enough, everyone was up and dancing except for one person…and it didn't take a genius to figure out who that one person was.

The tide was coming in closer and through out the night, the fire started to die down but the part stayed in full blaze and quite honestly, I was having the most fun that I had ever had in LA. I needed to take a breath and lie down, so I walked away from the dancers and sat on the sand, letting the water sweep in to tease my toes. Suddenly, someone floored me and I was on full alert, I bounced up, my actions delayed due to the things I had consumed that night.

"Why you sitting over here like a big loner?" Tasha said as she leaned over my back, her arms squeezing my neck softly.

"I just needed some space to breathe." I said with a chuckle, pressing my lips to the cold bottle. Tasha nodded her head and sat down next to me, letting her back rest against the sand as she gazed up at the stars. I tried to ignore the fact that she still had no top on, her black bra contrasting amazingly against her inked, pale skin. Everything was silent as I lay down next to her, both of us just looking at the stars.

Suddenly, I had a case of the giggles. "What are you laughing at?" Tasha said, smiling at me.

"God, I'm just thinking about how much my life has changed within the past three days." I said, gazing at the stars. The giggles had gone and I was brought with the sense of emptiness and anxiety. "I mean, I just feel so…different and stupid."

"Why?" Tasha said softly.

"I went from this…rough, alcoholic slut who could do whatever the hell she wanted. I had so much fun and so many friends. I didn't have any worries, and now I feel as if that's all I have." I sighed, my voice shaky. "I worry that Abe will kick me out and I'll be homeless, I'm paranoid about everything around him."

I knew I wouldn't be revealing this stuff to Tasha if I wasn't drunk or high, but I was… so I told her more than I probably ever would again. "I feel like I don't have anyone anymore, and to make matters worse I have done _fuck all _to that wanker Dickitri, but he hates me!"

Tasha, even through my pain, cheered me up when she burst into huge laughter. "DICKITRI!" She screamed everywhere, her laughs loud and rib busting. "That is amazing! Oh God, I _have _to use that!"

I chuckled and allowed her calm down, again, we pitted into silence. Suddenly Tasha sat up. "I'm sorry about what you're going through Rose." Tasha said her words just as slurred as mine. "But you're not on your own. I've only known you for what? Twelve hours or something, and I already love you! You're amazing and believe me, I won't leave you…and if worse comes to worse, you can come live in my place if old man Mazur kicks you out." I laughed softly.

"Thanks." I said with a smile. The smile was for her, but my eyes stayed connected to the sky.

"And don't worry about Belikov…" Tasha said softly. "That kid's got a lot of issues, it'll take him time to warm up to you, but he will soon, once he can trust you."

"That doesn't give him the right to ban me from using his pot, or for glaring at me like I'm unwanted." I said angrily, turning my head backwards to see Dimitri sitting alone as he watched the dancers, his beer bottle stuck to his lips.

"Well, to him you _are_ unwanted." When I didn't laugh, Tasha realised her joke wasn't funny. "Okay, okay…I don't know why he's doing it, but he has this thing with anger… just don't mess around with him okay? He's had a tough life, maybe you remind him of someone he used to know." She shrugged her shoulders and stood up, stretching as she did. "Just ignore him and everything will be sweet Cupcake."

"Okay." I said unsurely, looking at the man sitting in the sand, looking lonelier that anyone I had ever seen.

Tasha and I walked back to the crowd. Once we reached there, Tasha gazed at her phone and then looked straight at me. "You may go now, Cupcake. It's almost two o'clock."

_Oh fuck. _

I started scampering around looking for my shoes and asking people for some gum to clear my breath. Eventually after much search, I came across both of my heels. I was just giving Christian a peck goodbye on the cheek when I heard the prick speak.

"It's a pity that you have to leave, Rose." I heard an angry voice say from behind me, I spun around to see Dimitri glare at me as I put my high heels back on. "Who knew skanks had bed times?"

I went slack as I straightened up, glaring at him as I did so. "Excuse me?" I spat, not able to believe the cheek of this fucker.

"I don't like to repeat myself." He snapped, taking another mouthful of beer. He didn't even look cocky or confident like he had earlier as he flashed the light in my eyes, he just looked pissed…extremely pissed. Everyone was still dancing, but I could tell that their eyes were on us.

"Yeah, I don't like guys that don't even know me, calling me a skank." I growled, challenging him.

"You must be, considering that your related to that old pervert." Dickitri said, his face reddening as his scary eyes darkened.

"For fucks sake, Dimitri!" Tasha yelled loudly. "Calm the fuck down! Don't take out your anger on her because of what ever grudge you hold over her brother or her dad because quite frankly, it has _fuck all _to do with her!"

"You know what?" He said angrily, standing up and flinging his bottle away in a temper, his breathing came out laboured and rough. "I don't give a fuck if it has nothing to do with her-"He looked straight at me. "I don't like you and I don't trust you, so do me a favour and stay away from me."

"My fucking pleasure." I spat angrily. He turned around and started storming away from us in the direction of his stupid bike. He sat on it and started the engine, and I couldn't help it, I picked up a stone that was next to the fire and I hurled it at his bike. It just missed his head and he started his bike, zooming right at me as if to knock me down. I knew it was a bluff, so I decided to stay but he got so closed and Tasha screamed, I was sure I was going to die. Just as I dived out of the way, he skidded away, sending sand in my face. _What a dick. _

I stood up and shook the sand of my clothes, glaring at the dust that Dimitri had left behind in his angry departure. I didn't give it a second thought, I put one foot in front of the other and started walking away, not even bothering to say goodbye to anyone. I was too pissed. What grudge did that cunt hold over my brother and Abe? I bet Abe probably did something bad like embarrass him or something…but what about Eddie? Eddie was many things…Temperamental, Over protective, extremely annoying, but he was not a bad guy and he wouldn't hurt anyone without serious reason.

"ROSE!" I heard Tasha shout, and I could hear footsteps hitting the sand behind me. Finally she met my stride, damn my small legs! "Rose, I'm so sorry, believe me, he has at least three of these anger tantrums a day, just give him time, its nothing personal!"

"But it is personal Tasha!" I said, stopping my stride to spin around to face her. "You mentioned some grudge? What the fuck? Why didn't you tell me he had a grudge on Abe when we sitting down beside the water...Know what? Never mind. I don't want to know."

I started to stomp away when Tasha yelled. "Christian jammed the gates, so you can get through if you be discreet."

I held my hand up in sarcastic thanks and continued on to my house. Being in a mood completely took away my buzz and right now I was just pissed and hungry. I hated being annoyed whilst having the munchies; it was a pain in the hole. Once I got to Abe's huge iron gates, I could see that Christian had wedged his skateboard in between, so that it hadn't closed. I pushed it open slightly and picked up the board whilst slinking in, trying not to be seen by the fat, bald man. Once I had the gate closed tightly behind me, hearing it click and lock, I ran straight into the bushes and kept my head down. The guard had noticed nothing and he continued to read what ever he was looking at. I stood up straight and made a beeline to the terrace where the vines stuck. I climbed up it whilst staying in the dark and finally I reached the little balcony leading to my room. I threw my legs over and climbed through the window, wedging myself through and hurting my back in the process.

I cursed as I closed my window and walked to the closet to find pyjamas. I looked at the clock hanging above it to see that it was twenty past two. I stayed extremely quiet, in case anyone was in the house, but there was no noise and everything was quiet. I continued to look for some bed wear, but all I could find was pink silk and more pink silk. I sighed in frustration and took off my clothes, slipping on the slithery silk.

My mind was fuming. Who did that stupid Belikov think he was talking to? From the impression I got from the first time I officially met him, it was obvious that a lot of girls liked him and found him extremely hot, I could see where they were coming from, he was beyond hot and he was sexy as hell, but his disgusting personality scored that out. Well, one thing was certain, Dimitri Belikov was an insensitive asshole and if he thought that I would lust after him like most of St. Vladimir's female population, he was sorely mistaken.

Tasha and everyone else had told me how awesome and amazing he was, and yet I had to see it. It was obvious they were obsessed by his whole mysterious bad boy façade, but I wasn't buying it. I was going to make his life hell if he messed with me, and I promised myself that. He didn't have a clue who he was fucking with, I didn't care if he had a tough life, and the fucker wasn't the only one. I had a hard life too, and I didn't go around treating everyone like a piece of crap…I only did it with reason.

I couldn't keep those dark, hate filled eyes out of my head. _What had happened?_ I had actually went from thinking that school in LA could possibly be bearable, I mean only a few more months and then I would graduate and be my own woman, but Dimitri had put a damper on things. I tried to not let him annoy me, but God it was hard.

I strolled to my bed, plaiting my hair into loose a braid, letting it fall over my shoulder. I climbed into my bed and closed my eyes. I clapped my hands and the lights went out, it was around half an hour that I heard a car pull up outside the house. Within five minutes my bedroom door opened and I heard a 'humph' coming from Abe's disgusting mouth as he closed the door, quite loudly, I add. Within five minutes, I feel asleep images of dark, dark eyes and an evil, cocky smirk on my mind.

I woke up when a soft knock vibrated from my door. "Rosemarie?" Holly's sweet voice whimpered from behind the door. "May I come in?"

"Humph." I murmured as I sat up, wiping away my hair which was blocking my eyes, my tongue felt like sand paper and my breathe absolutely stunk to high heavens, I opened my eyes and rubbed them immediately, curing them from the harsh, white LA sun. I continued to rub them as Holly allowed herself in. She stood at the bottom of my bed, her face expressionless and her hands joined. Her blonde hair was down today, but it was neat and very plain though I knew that her highlights probably cost about two hundred dollars. Her plum coloured blouse and black pencil skirt matched with her black high heels, and she looked very professional. She was a house wife so I knew she had no job, but she did occasionally go to her book club…

"Can I help you?" I said, climbing out of bed to stand up. I started to walk to the bathroom that was connected to my bedroom and I wet a face cloth, cleaning my face as she watched me. Once my face was clean I turned around and looked at her.

"Your father insisted you awaken earlier, so that he would question you on your piano lessons." She said, looking softly at me. With that, she nodded her head and walked away. Finally, after she left I let my head rest upon the cold sink.

I fucking hated hangovers!

I hardly ever got them, but when I did it was awful. I could barely see through the white lights and every sound was like a gun shot to the brain. I wet my face again and started brushing my teeth, after my shower and I was fully clean and dried, I walked out of my bathroom to see that someone had hung an outfit on my closet door. I looked at in distaste. It was a dress and it was short, but again just like my outfit from the day before, it looked stuck up and like every girls outfit in this god damned place. It was a peachy colour with beautiful little flowers decorating it, next to the dress was a pair of peach high heels, very much like my ones from the day before. There was a collection of white and peach jewellery and a big white channel bag. I rolled my eyes and put my clothes on, brushing my hair until it was completely straight and then I tied it into a braid and let it fall over my shoulder. I didn't even bother with the makeup.

I strolled down the long hallways, the very same hallways Corina had taken me down yesterday, and again I looked out the huge glass walls, admiring the beautiful city and I could see the beach. I was immediately brought with images of the night before; I swallowed the bile rising in my throat as I remembered that Dickitri would be in school.

It was obvious that he knew my father, but the question was, was this personal? Tasha had mentioned a grudge but I hoped it wasn't anything serious. Maybe Dimitri just had severe trust issues and was an angry asshole, it seemed reasonable enough.

But I didn't think so.

Finally, I reached the study. My father was sitting at his usual desk, his usual news paper grasped firmly in his hard hands. Didn't he ever loosen up? It seemed that he was constantly tense, like a ten foot pole was rammed up his ass. I took in the familiar surroundings of the family study. Abe had his own office, but he _insisted _on putting his name on a gold plaque and putting on the family desk which was in the family study. In my eyes, it was sign that this house was controlled by Ibrahim Mazur…_CEO of Mazur Industries. _Eugh.

His dark hair, the exact shade of mine was in its usual style, gelled back with tonnes of gel and wax. His dark black pinned striped suit was specially tailored and perfect, not one thread out of place his tie perfect and straight and not one stain on his dark blue shirt. As soon as I walked in, he gazed patronizingly over his news paper, before folding it and setting it before him, not once taking his dark, cement eyes from me.

"Rosemarie, take a seat." He demanded, rising his hand slightly to motion to the soft, plush red chair before him. I did as I was told, pulling at the bottom of my dress as I tried to lower the height.

Everything was silent as Abe stood up, one hand behind his back as he closed the huge, wooden doors of the study. I kept my head down, preparing myself to be yelled at for something that was probably out of my control. There was no way he would have found out about the beach, but I was still terrified.

"Andre told me that you're a very promising student, Rosemarie. Do you agree with this statement?" He asked, sitting on the corner of his desk, his arms folded as he towered over me.

"Uh, yes sir." I lied, letting the fear get the best of me. I didn't once take my eyes from my knees and I kept my hands joined. I didn't want to let him know just how much he terrified me, but I couldn't help it.

"Humph." He huffed as he seated back into his throne. "I trust that you studied whilst alone last night. Am I correct in making that assumption? Business is a very demanding subject and I expect nothing less than full marks."

"Yes sir." I replied, keeping my eyes stuck firmly to my knees. Who in their right mind would study if they were in a bad mood? That was just crazy.

"Raise your head." He demanded after sensing my discomfort. See, that was what Abe done, he sensed your fears, your discomforts, your insecurities…and he used them against you. I raised my head and looked him firmly in his hard, tough love eyes. His stern glare and patronizing smirk sent a punch of nerves to my stomach.

"Good." He said slowly, picking up his news paper. I could practically feel the beads of sweat forming on my head, why was he doing this? I was up at least forty five minutes that I needed to be.

"Uh, if you don't mind me a-asking sir," I said slowly. "Why have you asked I be woken up so early?"

"Well, I thought you'd enjoy the sight of the beach at this time, it's quite the picture." He said sarcastically, as if he had something over me. His dagger eyes bashed to mine as he slammed his fist down on the table and stood up, even though a whole chunk of wood was between us, I felt as though he was towering over me, his demanding anger pining me against the chair violently. "At least, it _was _quite the picture, until now that is." He paused for a second, his face slightly red and a swollen throbbing vein threating to burst from his forehead. "It's quite the joke, actually. Not once, in my twenty years of living here, has that beach been in that state that it is now, but you're here for _three _days…and this happens? You cannot tell me that this is a coincidence, Rosemarie."

I was shocked. "W-what?" I stuttered, stunned and stuck to my chair in fear.

"I woke early this morning so I could make it to a meeting, said _meeting _that I had to cancel so I could talk to my delinquent daughter!" He yelled loudly, saliva spraying everywhere. I was under the impression that Abe didn't shout, just gave scary warnings… how I wish that was right. "You think that I was born yesterday, you stupid, stupid child! I have a reputation to uphold and I cannot risk you vandalizing a beach. People will put two and two together, and I will not have it! You will go upstairs immediately and pack your bags."

"W-what! N-no! I didn't do anything, p-please!" I begged, tears exploded from my swollen eyes. The perfect cure to a hang over is having it scared out of you. I couldn't move from my chair as I sat there and let my heart pour from my eyes.

"You expect me to believe that, you disgusting creature?" He spat, his ever throbbing vein not calming in the slightest. "NYC graffiti covers almost every inch of that beach! How do you expect me to believe _you?_ I cannot believe a word that leaves your mouth!"

"P-please Dad!"

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" I couldn't stop it. Before I knew it, his hand had rose and held firm above his head, with the speed of lightening he whipped the side of my face with his hard hand sending my head rocking sideways and I felt as though my neck was about to snap with the force. My neck didn't snap, but I fell from the chair and landed on the floor.

"What's going on?" I heard from the other side of the door. Abe was distracted as his heads turned to look at the door so I sprung up and grabbed the first thing in my hand to protect me from my so called father. It was a lamp and I ripped it from the socket as Abe walked firmly to the door, unlocking it to let an angry Eddie burst through the door.

He took in the situation. Abe rubbing his stinging hand and me, tears running down my face and a lamp pressing firmly in my shaking hands, my face probably had a huge hand mark too.

"What happened Dad?" Eddie said, his pyjamas wrinkled from his sleep and his hair in disarray.

"Nothing that involves you, son." Abe said fondly, placing a hand on my brother's shoulder. Eddie brushed it off and took a step towards me.

"What did you do to her?" Eddie asked, his bare feet taking further steps towards me, his eyes careful as he watched our father.

"Only what she deserves, now leave Edison before I am forced to take action." Abe warned his greased hair slightly in a mess due to his rage.

"NO! Tell me what's going on and if she deserves it, I'll leave her." He took a look at me and I could see in his eyes that he didn't mean a word of it. Angry or not, my brother had my back and I would forever love him for that.

Abe walked slowly and comfortably to his seat and sat down, his now calm eyes on Eddie. "I do not have to obey you, or try to fit your demands, but I shall purely on the fact that you are my son and I believe you have a mature approach on these situations." He joined his hands and looked at my brother. "As you know, this family has a very demanding, strong reputation to uphold and you know very well son that I will not stand for sloppy, disgusting behaviour. Your _sister _does not abide my rules, and although being told to stay in her room, she disobeyed and decided to take a trip to the beach, which ended up being vandalized because of her stupid, disgusting behaviour!"

"What? Rose wasn't at the beach last night, Dad." Eddie said almost immediately. "The guys from St. Basils were…I think I would have been told if she had have been there, believe me, plus you could ask Corina if Rose left her room."

"_Rosemarie_ does not deserve a second chance, son. You can stop defending her, nothing will change my mind." Abe said, picking up his news paper. "Now, go upstairs and pack your bags Rosemarie, if you are not gone within the hour I shall be forced to take matters into my own hands."

"Come on, Dad, your being absurd!" Eddie said, taking my hand. "She's not going anywhere…and if she is, I'll go with her. Imagine what that'll do to your stupid rep. Your two kids walking away from you? It doesn't look good, Dad."

"Your being ridiculous son, now let go of her hand and get ready for school." Abe said without any emotion.

"No, we're leaving. Either you give her one last chance, or we both walk. Your decision." Eddie warned, looking serious even in his messy hair, wrinkled pyjamas and bare feet. Abe was quiet for a long time before letting out a huge breathe, setting down his news paper as he looked at Eddie.

"Very well. If she steps out of line _once…_" He looked sharply at me. "You get kicked out to the streets, understood? And Edison stays here." He picked up the news paper again and ignored us as we walked out of the room. I wiped my face weakly as we walked arm in arm up the stairs. As soon as I was sure we were alone I wrapped my arms around my brother and let my tears spill everywhere.

"Thank you, oh my god, thank you so much." I whimpered, clenching tightly onto his t-shirt.

"Rose, I meant it when I said I would help you whilst staying here." He said, his hand running through my now falling everywhere hair. "I'm going to help you with your anger issues, your addictions and I'm going to stick up for you, no matter what. Even if you've fucked up." He pressed his lips to my hair and then let me go.

"Go wait in the car, I'll be out in a second and we can go on a drive before school." He threw me a set of keys, and I didn't even want to know why he had them whilst he was in his pyjamas. He smiled sweetly at me, giving me the confidence I needed to go down stairs.

I almost ran as I trembled past the study. Abe looked once at me, his eyes angry and infuriated. He had no problem kicking me out, but as soon as Eddie mentioned leaving to, he let me stay. Jesus, I was thankful for Eddie.

I walked to the garage, rubbing my aching eyes with my still shaking hands. I jumped into the car and let my head rest as I thought. As I looked out of the car, I could see that the beach was in fact ruined, NYC was sprayed painted onto a huge boulder and beer cans and pieces of clothing were littered all around the sand. There was a huge patch of black ash, where the fire had been. Yeah, the party obviously got out of control once I left and I was going to have stern words with Tasha and Christian.

Looking at the huge blue painted NYC I got to thinking who actually had done this. I didn't know that much people here and maybe someone was from New York, but I highly doubted, I somehow felt as though this was a dig to me and it left me thinking…was I just being paranoid? Or was the goal to get me kicked out and doubt myself? I didn't care what the reason was… what was playing around in my mind was…

Who the fuck had done it?

Without my consent, my mind was brought images of a black motorcycle, black leather and black eyes.

* * *

**Jebus... Abe is a dick, huh? Like, imagine that bastard was your father...I think i'd kill him..honestly.**

**Anyway, Poor Rose :( Also, people this story is OOC! so I know that Rose is this badass chick and believe me, she will come back! but shes going through some tough shit, so review and let me know what you thought :)**

**Cheers xD**

**Al xox  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four is here (: So enjoy and don't forget to review xD**

_** I've decided to add music to each chapter, yano.. to fit the moment?**_

_**Sweat- _Snoop Dogg ft. David Guetta (Scene one- workout & dimitri)

_Running up that Hill- _Placebo (Dimitri)

_Unbreakable- _Fireflight (the party, to the end) **

**Enjoy x**

* * *

**Chapter Four- **_God, I want to dream again... _

**"Those who hate most fervently must have once loved deeply; **

**those who want to deny the world must have once embraced what they now set on fire"~Kurt Tucholsky  
**

Left, left, right, kick, left, left, right, kick, kick, kick, left, right, upper cut.

A loud thumped crack through the air as my leg kicked higher, hitting the target repeatedly over and over again, each swing hitting harder than the one before, the impact sending a chain reaction of agonizing shocks throughout my body. I crashed my fists into the thick leather bag, ignoring the crippling pain shooting through my nerves; my focus belonged to the black artificial punching bag before me and only that. Rage over taking my body as I tightened my stance, standing straight and poised before I raised my leg and shot my leg out to smack the bag with force, sending a loud crash to go throughout the cold, metallic room. I clenched my busted fists and crashed them into the black bag as sweat beaded on my brow and my muscles contracted in pain. I stayed lithe and light on my toes, bouncing side to side, stretching my neck as I continued my rhythm of hitting the large, heavy bag.

From the recesses of my mind, I could feel the aching twisting pain of busted knuckles paralyse my arm, but I ignored it- I wasn't over yet. I continued my impressive routine of spine busting kicks and skull cracking punches, feeling the energy and pain- and welcoming it! I enjoyed the feeling as it invaded my fluid body, my muscles burning with the sensational sting off work, strain and agony. The black tape covering my throbbing knuckles stayed tight as I continually annihilated the bag before me; determined to fight until the crescendo of irrupting thoughts vanquished from infecting every thing entering my mind and like I knew it would; it worked.

With each bash, the gleaming silver chain of the bag swung forward and backward, thrashing with the impact of my hits. It was becoming increasingly irritating as the bag swung from its position. "Tasha!" I grunted through my harsh breathing erupting from my fatigued lungs. "Hold this God damned bag!" I continued to grunt in pain as my kicks and punches never stopped their continuous thrusts.

"Fucking hell, babe, who shoved a stick up your ass?" She asked, her own voice slightly laboured from her own workout.

"Okay, can we talk once I'm finished?" I grunted, ignoring her expressions. "I asked you to hold the bag, not converse with me."

"Ouch." She said, standing behind the heavy bag, holding it, securing my punches and kicks in turn. After three whops, Tasha stepped away and glared at me. "Stop hitting it so god damned hard, you nearly flew me into the wall!"

"Sorry," I growled, not meaning my apology in the slightest. My body was slick and wet with sweat, my stomach gleaming against the fluorescent lighting. Beading of sweat begins to roll along my temple, finally falling from my jaw and into the tight fabric of my sports bra where it was immediately absorbed. I continued to bounce lightly on my toes, like a fairy but deliver mind cracking hits, like a fighter. "Didn't mean it."

"Seriously Rose, what is up with you?" Tasha said, ambling from her spot behind the punching bag. It was now unsecure and of no use to me. "I've never seen you this pent up."

"But then again," I moaned, hooking my left arm over my other horizontal one, stretching it and relieving it from its pain. "You've only known me for a few weeks." I bent down to touch my toes, stretching my back and legs.

"Yeah, so?" She asked rhetorically, looking me with a questioning gleam in her stunning blue eyes. She had accumulated herself a new tattoo, this one was behind her left ear, which just happened to be the ancient Chinese symbol for fun. I rolled my eyes and pressed my teeth to the glossy black tape, ripping it from my worn out knuckles. My friend took one look at them and then winched, her face scrunching up like a bulldog that had bitten a wasp. "That looks pretty bad."

"It's a scratch." I said, snapping my hand away from her curious hands. "I'll be okay."

"I don't doubt that, Cupcake." She retorted, strolling away me from me, a bounce in her step. She sauntered over to the bench and pick up a bottle of water, flinging at me to the point where it almost smacked my head. I caught it as it almost collided with my head; I twisted the cap and titled my head, allowing the refreshing thin liquid to slide down my parched throat. Tasha lay vertically on the blue carpeted floor, a cotton towel covering her sweat covered face and her inked stomach was revealed, covered in a thin sheen of sweat. I fluidly strolled over to where she lay, picking up a white towel beside her head, I still felt energetic but continued to wrap up my training, sauntering towards the girls showers.

I heard light, fairy like steps behind me, which I decidedly ignored, and a lazy grin surfaced on my flushed, sweaty face. My knuckles had a slight sting, the pain starting to register as my workout was over, I ignored the pain as I acknowledged my friend a few centimetres behind me. Tasha walked into step with me as we leisurely strolled into the changing rooms/showers. I took in the similar surroundings, noticing how the windows were opalescent and dim, giving us the opportunity to change without pervy onlookers. Without comment, I entered the shower room, stripping and stepping into the sultry, steamy water, letting its calming effects swallow my body, relaxing my tense, taut muscles. Within minutes, the water had turned cold, the icy water splashing against my heated body, raising my hair throughout my whole body. I stepped out, hoping the bumps created by raising hair, would disappear.

Tasha stood before me, putting her simple, plain black signature garments on. Her pale, milk bottle arms peaked from a jet black top and her legs were confined in a pair of skinny jeans, her usual attire. I changed my focus, turning to my own clothes, slipping them over my head without much thought. Before I realised the bell rang, signalling we were heading to lunch. I sauntered over to my friend, meeting her icy, cold eyes.

"Spit it out, Hathaway," She exhorted, her thin stick like arms folded under her bosom, her liquid ice eyes piercing me with force. "What's the problem?"

"Nothing." I berated, ignoring her accusing tones and glances.

"'Nothing' my ass," She retorted, that infuriating accusing tone thick in every syllable. "You've been acting like this for the past week, what's up?"

I exhaled a huge breath, feeling the hard gush escape my dusty lungs. I lifted my cut hand and rubbed my eyes in frustration; I released another sigh and turned to face my friend. "Abe." With that one word, she grasped it all. A curt nod of the head was the only sign of understanding she allowed me to see, but we pressed on the subject no further, staying in silence as we walked to the cafeteria. We may have not continued to pursue in the conversation, but the thoughts had invaded my mind again; the very thoughts I went to the gym in the first place to get rid of. They were back with a raging revenge, invading every corner of my mind.

It had been a month since the whole 'NYC beach fiasco', and still no sign of who it might have been. I had my unreeling suspicions that it could very well be the one person who disliked me the most in the school; Dimitri Belikov. Although I hadn't made much friends, I had expected to have had acquired myself a lot more enemies. My mind zapped to Lissa and the Tart Trio, as Tasha and I liked to name them, which unfortunately consisted of Avery Lazar- the sultry, spoilt hot girl, Mia Rinaldi- the innocent looking, doll faced bratty slut, Sonya Belikov- The very sister of the cunt Dimitri Belikov and of course, the leader of the pack, the one, the only; Lissa Dragomir, the rich daddies girl with more jewels than Tiffany's commonly known as LA's princess. Each of these 'brats' could have been the culprit, but with no definite evidence, I had nothing and that in Abe's eyes proved that it was me, and the problem with that was he wouldn't let the subject drop.

I picked up a black, plastic tray from the stack and waited in line for my slops, Tasha and Christian, who had spotted us, behind me. I waited patiently ignoring that buzzing feeling of pain spreading through my hands. My eyes darted around the student packed room, watching the different personalities merge together to make one chaotic student body, a lazy grin appeared on my face again as I watched my brother glare at me. His blue eyes snapped to the twins behind me, and back to me, his pupils thick with judgement and disappointment. He understood how I felt; there was no point in me abiding Abe's rules, if he was going to punish me anyway. So I did exactly that, obeying the more major rules, but ignoring the moronic stupid, commands.

Once I received my excuse for a meal, I planted myself down at our usual table, devouring the food straight away not even acknowledging Natalie who was situated before me, nibbling her own crud whilst fiddling with her new Nixon photography camera, said camera that Tasha would rape, if given the chance. I lifted my fork and engulfed my food which closely resembled to a mixture of dog food and chicken casserole, ignoring the buzzing sound of chattering guys and girls surrounding us in our little bubble. Soon enough Tasha and Christian joined us, their own trays in hand. Tasha perched herself on the seat that sat next to me, her bare arms brushing mine slightly.

"Oh joy," Natalie said, looking over my head in disgust. "Look who it is."

The joints and muscles in my neck contracted in pain as I twisted around, a look of distaste plastered on my face as I glared at the pack that had just walked in. Leading the Trio as usual was the perfectly primed Lissa Dragomir, her smooth blonde hair falling down her shoulder and clothes that suited royalty. Though Lissa had done nothing offensive towards me, I still felt bile rise in my throat when I watched her; I noticed how girls either gazed in admiration or glared in envy. They followed her around like sheep, confirming that my thoughts where true: No one in the God damned school had a mind of their own.

She strutted through the crowd of students like she was part taking in a fashion show, owning the catwalk, delivering fierce poses at the bystanders. I examined the mind dead people sitting at my table; Tasha's face scrunched up, her eyes thick in hatred as she watched LA's princess own the school, Natalie revealed no emotion toward the group and finally, my eyes fell upon Christian, who's eyes were stuck on the blonde beauty, who had now found her way to my brothers table, demanding attention from every direction. His freezing blue eyes glued tight to Lissa, his lips relaxed in a soft smile, his cheekbones turning a very becoming pink.

"Chris, get a grip." Natalie snapped, booting his ankle under the table. His throat tightened in shock as he let out a little gasp of surprise and pain. He glared at his friend, his eyes once so soft and care free gazing at the bitch where now back to their stony venom glare.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He lied, shovelling a fork full of gravy like substance into his mouth. I was aware at how his eyes avoided contact with anyone, but subtly snapped to the popular table, filled with LA's elites.

"Puh-lease." Tasha snorted unattractively, pointing a meaty knife in Christian's direction, her point firm and taut as she glared knowingly at her sibling. "Christ's sake, Christian. Is it really so difficult to mask your fucking obsession with the tart? Its disgusting to look at, and I'm trying to eat my lunch."

"She's not a tart!" Christian retaliated, an angry tinge stitched through his irises as he glared at his sister. "And I'm not obsessed."

"Yeah, yeah. Tell me that after your eye stops twitching." Tasha replied, lifting her hand to look nonchalantly at her black painted fingernails which were beginning to chip. She delivered the facts out front with a tough love attitude. It was something I loved about her.

Christian burrowed back into his own world of self pity, darkness and isolation, burying his ear phones deep into his sockets, blocking out the world around him. Natalie, whose green-blue eyes fixated on the boy next to her, turned her pink lips into a twisting scowl as her face contorted in frustration and a deep crease forged between her perfect brows, showing just how annoyed she was. Since I was evaluating my surroundings, I decided to glance at the girl who sat next to me, her sexy cropped hair was messy, little strands falling over her clear forehead and a few pieces curling under her ear, bringing emphasize to her new tattoo which was surrounded by a ring of red, irritated skin. Her knowing ice eyes met mine briefly before they snapped towards the door and back to me again.

I bent my straight back as I assessed the thick, wooden doors, my mouth curling into a sadistic frown when my squinted eyes fell upon the tall form of Dimitri Belikov. He towered over the other students, and very much like Lissa, his presence compelled the attention of other people surrounding him. He was a vision before me, his delectability astounding as he stood before the crowds, a cocky, alluring smirk, crooking his otherwise perfect lips. His sexy, signature leather jacket didn't seem to be attached to him today, so his toned, muscled arms looked perfectly sculpted as they dove into the pockets of his luscious jeans. My wide pupils zoomed into the chest of this god-like man, and through his thin black V-neck I could see the tantalizing outline of thick, wired muscled stomach and the muscles didn't stop, they rippled like a sexy, enticing waterfall throughout his heavenly body, covering him every inch. The man before me created a track of wildly disgusting thoughts throughout my mind, causing private parts of me to tingle and my cheeks to redden.

It infuriated me. This unbelievably divine man who stood before the crowed, with a confident stance and cocksure smirk, was probably my worst enemy in the school. I remembered those unfortunate times when my vision was phased with this babe, and he would glare at me until I shied away from his spiralling, oil black eyes, his beautiful mouth twisted into an expression of distaste.

I had heard a lot about Dimitri Belikov through out the past five weeks; man-whore, hot, cocky, self-assured, arrogant, bad boy…The list went on and on and on and it never failed to amaze me.

The bright florescent lights bounced off the gleaming counters that stood near him, and my attention was brought untimely to the blinding metal as Dimitri's sex-filled eyes snapped to me, his smile broadening for some intangible reason. My eyes snapped away from the counters as my attention was stuck firmly on my so called lunch. I chose to glare at the large plate of gloop before me instead of the amazing guy, who seemed to be burning into me with his fiery, sexy eyes.

My hyper aware ears picked up Tasha's snicker and I picked up an uncomfortable gasp, my eyes snapped to her fingers drumming against the artificial wooden table, made of the ugliest yellow. I kept my eyes stitched to the disgusting crap in front of me, giving it so much attention that it felt as though I was simply staring, which would have looked highly curious to my fellow students.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the infamous Dimitri Belikov." Tasha snapped coolly next to me, obviously unable to detect the slight intake of breathe that I had just engulfed. My eyes rose to the man who stood over our table, his eyebrow arched in the most delicious way as he assessed me.

"You know I don't like to brag, Tash." He said slowly and perfectly, his tone broad and deep laced with the most amazing Russian accent. His voice was low and sensual, and he must have been pretty self assured if he was honestly hitting on a lesbian. His liquid molten eyes twinkled in mischief and the left side of his mouth rose in a crooked grin, showing me a perfect set of pearly whites. I noticed a scar that was lodged from the end of his head, spiralling down in ragged lines until it was lost in his sexy, black top. His cocky words sent shocks and tingles throughout my body.

"_You _don't like to brag?" Tasha scoffed, looking at Dimitri in disbelief. "You _are _kidding, right?"

He laughed lightly, leaning over the table to look closer at Tasha, his face suddenly serious and dead set. His eyes searched her, and then his mouth rose in that crooked, irresistible grin. "Of course I'm kidding, how can I not brag over something this pretty?" He provided a heart stopping, heartthrob smile as he lifted his hand, framing his chiselled jaw, a cocky gleam to his eyes.

"Don't you need to take a break every once in a while?" Tasha growled playfully. "Doesn't it get tiring being a dick day after day?"

He chuckled again, his smile breath taking, sending shivers down stairs. "Trust me, I don't need a break," he retorted, "My dick and I have great stamina, thanks."

"Hmm, good to know you gained something from banging almost every vagina in this school." My friend retorted. I looked at Christian who was still in his own little world, his chin touching his chest as he concentrated fully on something far from my understanding, his eyes glazed and unfocused. I snapped my gaze away and looked at Natalie who was completely engrossed in her new camera, her little pink tongue peaking from her mouth, arching as she licked her lip in concentration. I looked back to the banter session between my friend and…well, Dimitri.

"Like you can talk about banging vaginas, lezzie." He joked, giving her a saucy wink and a sexy smile. I couldn't stop the snorting chuckle that escaped my throat. The noise ripped from my body before I even had a chance to comprehend that situation it may cause, and oh god, the sound was atrocious. Dimitri's dark, entrancing eyes snapped to me, his mouth lifted into an amused, twisted smile, his eyebrow lifting into that unbelievably sexy arch, making me shake in my skinny jeans.

"Rosemary, right?" He questioned, his tanned skin contrasting beautifully with his gleaming teeth.

"Uh, no. Rosemarie, actually," I retorted, feeling a little pissed that he had forgotten my name, considering how rude he was to me. I remembered that suddenly, bringing me back to planet earth. This guy, whose glance send me wild, was a rude dick to me, he treated me like shit and any day that he actually decided to show up for Media Studies, he ignored me, turning up his nose anytime he caught me looking.

"Is there a difference?" He asked cockily, that God damned smirk of his raising higher, his sharp, sexy jaw becoming more prominent.

"Yes actually, there is a fucking difference." I angrily growled, the words catching in my throat. I was torn, at one end, I wanted to do naughty, dirty things to the man before me…then I wanted to attack him and plain and simple, kill him.

His eyes sparkled seeing how he was annoying me. "Well, to me there is no difference, and that's were it counts, really."

I resisted the urge to growl in frustration, the insides of my eyes blazing dangerously as he smirked at me confidently. "Want to know what I think counts? Actually having a head that doesn't stick up my own ass, Pretty Boy."

He laughed again, his musical chuckle tightening my stomach in anxiety. "Ouch… feisty." He said stated, his eyes roaming my face. "The name is Dimitri; I don't really appreciate the 'pretty boy' thing."

"Is there a difference?" I snapped, using his own words against him, watching how his expression fell in surprise for the smallest of seconds before he retained his cocky, vain smirk.

"Touché, красивый." I was momentarily surprised, my eyes widening at his sultry use of his own language. I didn't know what he had said, but god did it send heat waves down south. I could feel my usually tanned cheeks redden and I had to avert my gaze as to not embarrass myself.

I glanced at the friends I had forgotten to see only Tasha had witnessed the…flirting? Unless he had called me something vulgar and disgusting in Russian… then I didn't know what it was. I felt embarrassed and ashamed, but there was a great moment of admittance taking place in my mind. I had told myself that I didn't find Dimitri attractive, but it was little hard not to find him hot as hell, never mind simply attractive. It was only a little fancy, not a major crush or anything I needed to be worried about. I could still keep the promise I made to myself: There was no way, in the face of this earth, that I was going to chase around after Dimitri Belikov. Not a chance.

**oX.o.X.**

_**Dimitri…**__**- **__The day before... _

Dimitri held the gun in his hand, admiring how his long lithe fingers tightened around the cold, thick device, watching how his knuckles whitened as his skin became tighter in the hand. He lifted the beautiful object and pointed it towards the six cans of empty beer cans lined up against a cold, stone wall. He took a moment to truly appreciate his mother's occupation; he always found it a pain in the ass that his mother, Olena Belikov, was a cop. Dimitri never fessed up to the bad things he had done, and he was never caught, the feeling of accomplishment he gained from this was astounding; he felt pride for causing pain, causing trouble.

He loosened his broad shoulders, stretching his neck and keeping his feet equally apart, he raised the gun to chest level and pulled the trigger, blowing the empty can away, the smell of gunpowder hitting him on the face, a reminder of what he was doing. He turned around, keeping his hands tight on the machinery in front of him, to glance at the house that was situated behind him. It was old and crooked, the once white paint had turned a tinged yellow and the windows were dusty, caked with year's worth of dust, the paint curling from the original wood, the grass long and untended, the only thing looking remotely new and expensive was his black Harley motorcycle, but that didn't matter to him; the shit hole was home to him.

Living alone had made Dimitri sloppy. He bought the house cheap and he knew that it looked like a piece of crap, but it was his to own, something for him to have that no one could touch. He was supposed to spend the day cleaning the place up, making it a little more bearable to live in, but that proved quite impossible. Plus, Dimitri thought it gave the house character, so he turned around, ignoring the old, broke down house and began to shoot away the cans, entranced as they bounced off the stone wall around one hundred feet away. He shot the remaining cans, loving the tightening feeling of his finger muscles contracting. He raised his mouth in a sly, wolfish grin when he heard the nasally giggle of Avery Lazar.

He turned around and looked at the beautiful girl with messy black and grey, heartless eyes. She was all legs, her long stalks peaking from a short skirt, he thought whilst plastering a cocky smirk on his face. Avery was just Dimitri's type; no baggage, banging body and easy. His eyes glanced at her stance, she was leaning against a tree her sexy hair cascading down her feminine shoulders, her grey eyes sharp and piercing, her mouth raised in a sexy, seductive smirk. Dimitri unloaded the gun and dropped it to the ground, making no noise as it hit the grass, Dimitri didn't care, and his focus was purely on the sexy body in front of him as she sauntered over to where he stood, her sexy defined hips moving sensually with every step.

"Belikov." She greeted him, biting her lip and tilting her head slightly. Dimitri watched her hair again, he always loved girl's hair, how soft and smooth it was and how good it felt in his hands. No one called him Dimitri, apart from Tasha, who he was considerably close to. He didn't allow anyone to call him Dimitri unless it was a special circumstance, so Avery calling him 'Belikov' was just another ordinary thing.

"Avery." He retorted, raising his eyebrow, or his girl enticing eyebrow, as Tasha called it. He knew that with the simple lift of his brow he could turn a girl's underwear into jelly.

Avery didn't wait much longer, she meandered her way towards Dimitri's muscled body and pressed herself against him, using her fingers to tease him, she slowly crept them up to twist behind his neck, lifting herself up to connect her heavily lip glossed lips to his. He tried to ignore the stickiness of her gloss, instead putting all his frustration into the kiss. With his long arms, he bent down and snaked his muscled arms around her fantastic legs, lifting her up and separating her legs, perching himself between them. Avery let out a low feral growl as he took her bottom lip in his mouth and pulled. He dominated her, he owned her. A slow mouth watering heat was escaping Avery's underwear and it was making Dimitri's trousers a little too tight for him, his itch was partly scratched when Avery pressed herself against him. Dimitri drove his tongue into her mouth, both of their tongues moving together in a sexy, erotic dance. Dimitri grabbed her arms and trapped them against the tree, providing her with no means of escape. He had her in the palm of his hand.

A vibration came erupted from her blouse pocket, the vibes blearing between them. "Ignore it." Dimitri grunted his voice thick with want, with need. He lips dominating and insistent on hers, his hand violently traveling her body to cup her generous chest.

She moved her mouth away from him and he immediately began devouring her neck, whilst grinding himself into her. She reached for her cell and looked at the message, resulting in her explosive yells. Dimitri jumped back in surprise, readjusting his trousers. He looked at the girl who he was just making out with, and she looked pissed and crazy. Her cheeks had gained little hints of a sweet pink, due to the workout and his breathing was harsh as he ran a hand through his signature sex hair.

"I am so _fucking _fed up with that stupid bitch!" Avery screeched, her shaking hands making way to her messy hair, twigs fell out due to having her head pressed against branches. Dimitri sighed for too reasons, one being that now that Avery had started bitching, she wouldn't stop and two, he was still turned on. He sat down against a tree and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Who is it now?" He asked, irritated for the immature interruption.

"Who is always fucking is!" She yelled, storming back and forwards in a crazy person maniac way. "That stupid Rose bitch!"

Dimitri rolled his eyes and looked at the girl raging in front of him. He hardly thought it was fair that she was storming around, showing off those fantastic legs and he wasn't allowed any. He continued to watch her hips sway and her sexy neck twist as she continued her rampage.

"I mean, she's not even that pretty!"-Dimitri sniggered at the thought-"and yet Andre is practically throwing himself at her! Lissa just texted me and it turns out that Andre is in Rose's house for some…meeting, like what the fuck? She could just come up front and say it; she's letting him bang her!" Dimitri didn't care in the slightest that Avery was getting worked up over another guy- she knew their arrangement. Dimitri didn't get into complicated, pointless relationships, he had many hook-ups and that was that. Avery tried to change his mind at first, but she, along with all his other girls, learned soon enough that his mind wouldn't budge. He was a train wreck and he knew it, he embraced who he was and knew that he was never going to change. He was more of a love 'em and then leave 'em type of guy.

"I just wish I could get her back somehow," Avery protested, sitting down on the ground and folding her thin stick like arms. "She's so annoying!"

Dimitri watched how her eyebrows shoot up as an idea burst through her head. She smiled that wicked smile which made her eyes become intense and dirty, that smile was the smile Dimitri loved on her. Avery wasn't sweet and pretty, she was sexy and rough, just like he liked them. He witnessed the seduction thick in her eyes, and he was highly aware that she was trying to manipulate him which was hilarious; Dimitri Belikov was not easily manipulated.

"I know…" Avery said, her eyes wondering and glazed in thought. "Oh my God! I am a genius!"

"Go on, spit it out." Dimitri said, becoming impatient as he witnessed black laced underwear up her skirt. "The faster you get it out of your system, the faster I can get in it."

"It involves you, babe." She said, glancing seductively, her teeth catching her bottom lip. "Won't you do me a favour…?"

"Only if you do one in return," He purred, and she knew exactly what he meant. She nodded her head enthusiastically and crawled over the twig covered forest carpet, crawling onto his lap and reaching into his ear. Her harsh breathing sent shivers throughout his body, the idea not meaning anything to him, the only thing he could register was that the plan was cruel, but he didn't care. He just wanted the girl who sat on his lap, and stroked his length confined by his jeans.

"Will you do it?" She begged, slipping one button at a time from its place, leaving sexy kissing along his chiselled jaw.

"Yeah, now lie down." With that, he took her on the forest floor.

**oX.o.X.**

_**Rose…**__- Present time. _

An air shattering bell exploded from the ceiling, shrilling through the empty corridors, signalling it was time to go home. To some of the students, I knew this bell was symbolizing their freedom, but not for me. For me, this bell brought a claustrophobic feeling; I felt my lungs contract and my spine become ruler straight. I packed my bags, throwing my books into my expensive white Chanel bag carelessly, throwing it over my shoulder without much feeling. Tasha, Christian, Natalie and I walked out of the wide door, but I couldn't help but turn my back and assess the purple computer chair that sat two stations down from me; Dimitri Belikov's station. He hadn't appeared today, not that I expect him to, but I couldn't help looking so entirely shocked at his behaviour at lunch. Not once had Belikov even smiled at me, never mind talk without an insult. No matter how rude he was today, I was extremely curious as to why he didn't provide me with the usual dirty looks I had become used to.

I continued to walk out the school doors, feeling my heels click across the filled corridors. You could say that I was an outcast in this school, but I still had a lot of attention more curious glances that anything else; apparently I was still a mystery. I continued to sauntered down the corridors, my friends by my side all of them taller than my small frame. Tasha flung a skinny tattooed arm around my shoulder and tightened her grasp, bringing me tight into her bosom.

"It's a shame you aren't going to be there tonight." Tasha stated with a sorrowful smile, her eyes showing that she wished I could drop my plans- which I totally couldn't.

"Yeah, I know." I muttered angrily crossing my arms as we walked slowly down the stairs of the tall school. "I wish I could cancel but I can't."

"I know, I know," Tasha mocked with an amused smile on her beautiful face, the corners of her mouth rising into a gorgeous smile. "Your Dad insists on attending the Dragomir party, after you so unfortunately missed the last one." She joked, pointing her nose in the air, her face scrunched like she had smelt something disgusting and she spoke in a snooty accent.

I lifted my fluid, tanned arm and drove it into her stomach, relishing at how her mouth pouted in surprise and pain. Natalie, Christian and I guffawed loud booming laughs as we strolled casually out the wide set doors, attracting some weird looks, some eyes filled with obvious annoyance and hate. I continued to smile, not phased with their bullshit what so ever. My eyes snapped to the huge oak tree where my brother waited angrily, car keys tight in hand, eyes sharp in annoyance. I gulped anxiously and said goodbye to my friends, who were on their way to a fun weekend filled with laughter and alcohol. They were traveling to a school far away from ours; St. Basils. I was extremely jealous.

Finally I joined Eddie, his blues eye piercing me in disappointment. "You're really set on disobeying Dad, then?"

"Yup," I retorted, popping the 'P'.

"Rose, you know that isn't a good idea," Eddie muttered, placing his hand lightly on my shoulder as we walked towards his beautifully expensive car. He opened the door for me, the walked quickly in front of the window to get to his side, his hand running through his hair frustratingly. He opened the door with a loud crack, his face a little redder than it had been a few moments ago. He sat down and fastened his seatbelt, placing his hands firm on the steering wheel, his neck and face taut as he stayed still. "You'll get kicked out Rose, and this time I wont stick up for you. You're bringing this upon yourself."

"I should be able to sit with my friends without being kicked out on my ass." I retorted, closing my eyes and rested my head against the cold window. I heard a huge engine roar, snapping my eyes open, they fell upon Dimitri Belikov who was a few cars down, a cocky smirk on his face as he looked at Avery Lazar whilst sitting on his amazing bike. He obviously felt my curious eyes on him as his head snapped to me, his eyes dark and black, like a seductive elixir with the ability to destroy people. I averted my gaze, placing my clammy hand over my peeping eyes.

"Yes, I know Rose." He said, placing the key in the ignition and starting the car. "But please don't fuck around tonight, this is important to Dad."

"_I know!_" I protested, feeling annoyed and like I was listening to the same broken down record over and over again. "I'm getting dressed up, and pretending like nothing's wrong, like all the other rich bastards around this _stupid _city."

Eddie didn't reply, instead releasing a deep breath. He began driving his eyes dark and filled with frustration. Neither of us spoke throughout the whole journey, my mind was being invaded with those thoughts; the thoughts that suffocated me and scared me. I imagined living by Abe's rules for the rest of my life- I needed to get out, and soon before I exploded. Eddie was unaware of the terrifying images forming in my mind, and for that I was thankful. Far sooner than I would have liked, we arrived in the long garage of Mazur Manor. I exhaled sharply, gathering my things to step in the house of hell.

My ankles shook and my stomach contorted in panic. I hated the house so much, that every time my eyes set on it I felt a shiver overtake my small body, already feeling the anger and annoyance my father brought me. I opened the garage door that lead into the kitchen, hoping that Abe didn't see me so that I could go up into my room and slip into my dress and do my hair and makeup, makeup I had 'permission' to wear.

Thankfully, Abe was having a suit fitted and he wasn't there, but his lovely wife, Holly, was. She was already completely ready, her blonde hair tied into a fashionably messy bun, scatters of diamonds encrusted into her blonde locks, her fresh cream complexion had a slight hint of blusher and her eyes were lined with perfect eyeliner and mascara, she looked divine. Around her thin body, she wore a silk evening gown made of the most beautiful purple fabric. It was asymmetrical and fell down her shoulder like a beautiful waterfall, emphasising her beautiful body and slim figure. A small black clutch bag, studded with diamonds lay lose in her perfectly manicured hands.

"Wow, Mom," Eddie said, releasing a low whistle. "You look hot."

Holly chuckled half heartedly and looked at her son and myself. "Thank you, but you two need to get ready as soon as possible." She demanded softly, a cute smile on her smooth lips. She looked at both of us, affection in hers. "Rose, Corina is waiting upstairs with your gown and Eddie, your suit is hanging in your closet." With that, she strolled away, her amazing shoes creating clicks that hit of the walls of the large room.

I began to climb the stairs, feeling the dread that was sure to come with the evening. I made it to my door, my feet hesitant to stroll into my large room, looking out towards the beautiful ocean. Once I entered the room, Corina dove at me, telling me to untie my hair from his tight ponytail, I did as I was told and let her brush out the creases, letting my natural brown/black curls cascade down my shoulders, it took within all of 10 minutes to get my hair perfectly smooth and beautiful. I looked at my long locks, letting it register that this was the first time since coming to LA that I had my hair down, without the usual hassle from my father. He hated my hair down, but I didn't care. Corina then added a few of the crystals that were embedded in Holly's locks, to my hair. It was perfect.

I felt weird that someone else was putting a little makeup on my face, but I ignored the feeling. She was doing it fast and she was doing it good, so I didn't complain, instead I looked at her work. She had done the very same as to be as she had to Holly, blushed cheeks and eyes lined with mascara and eyeliner, it was plain but extremely pretty. Next came the gown which fell like an everlasting flow of water, it was made of the creamiest silk ever, and it was beyond perfect. This was the type of dress that started religions, seriously. I unfortunately had to keep my underwear off, to avoid any underwear lines against the delicate silk, but hey, the sacrifices girls make to be pretty, huh? The cream dress was strapless, and fell down my body, clinging to every curve. I was covered every wear apart from my arms and shoulders, but I felt naked in a sexy, confident way. Corina slipped on my five inch heels, cream like the dress and a little hard to move in, but hot none the less. She handed me a clutch bag, like Holly's and that was me ready within the hour. It usually took me around three hours to get ready normally, Corina had a gift.

I strolled gracefully down the stairs, where Eddie, Holly and Abe awaited along with our chauffeur. Eddie and Abe were dressed in similar suits, tailored perfectly and Holly looked like a doll- that was how perfect she was. Her porcelain skin glowed in the dim lighting. Eddie and Holly had a slight smile stitched to their similar lips, but Abe stayed straight faced and strict watching me as I walked down the stairs. I ignored the glances he cast at my hair as we strolled outside. I felt ridiculous, I felt as though I was getting dressed up just to look snooty; I didn't like having to dress to impress.

I took a glance at the huge clock that lay above the large foyer of the grand house; it was already five o'clock, indicating that it was time for us to make a move. As a disjoined family, we overbearingly walked towards our extremely flashy limousine, feeling the sockets of my eyes twist as I rolled them- this was so ridiculous. I couldn't help compare this magnificent, showy car to the cheap motorcycle that I drove in New York. I knew that I should have felt privileged that I had these amazing things, when poverty was spreading throughout the world, but I couldn't be thankful. Looking at my reflection in the shiny black paint, I could a girl who looked a lot like me, same brown eyes and long brown hair, but it wasn't me. The girl I was seeing was someone I didn't like, she looked frightened and fed up. That wasn't who I was.

I climbed into the car after the chauffeur opened the door for me, allowing Holly to go first. I sat down in the flashy leather seats and scanned the interior, my eyes falling upon a row of beverages, champagne and whiskey being a few of them. I swallowed in agitation, my eyes flicking back to the bottles almost every minute, watching as how the vehicle movement caused the liquid to swish around the glass bottles. I desperately needed one, if I was going to survive this night. I tried to ignore the constant jitter of my expecting mind, waiting for the silence to take over, but it never did. I could scarcely tell that Abe was watching me, a glass of gin and tonic in his tight hands; he knew exactly what was up.

"I want to make this exceedingly understandable," He began, one leg crossed over the other. His arm draped over his higher leg and his eyes severe and brutal. His black hair and little goatee beard made him look dark and sinister-like the devil. "The majority of the people attending this affair are my employees; my assistants, my representatives, different staff members from various departments, and I will not have you making a mockery of our family, Rosemarie."

I didn't know how to reply to my father, I could only concentrate on the anger passing through my veins and arteries, gushing furiously like poisonous blood. His piercing brown eyes scorched like a roaring fire, assessing me. I couldn't look at him any longer; I averted my gaze to look at my brother and step mother, watching as they watched the abuse. Their eyes cast down as I looked at them, disappointed that they thought this behaviour was acceptable. At the end of the day though-what could they do?

"Do you understand, Rosemarie?" Abe growled, tilting his drink to his mouth, his ice clanking against the cold glass making a series of different noises. Although he was drinking, he kept his eyes firm on my squirming figure. After I hadn't replied, he lowered his glass and glared at me. "Answer me, Child."

"Yes." I choked through emotion. "Yes, Sir. I understand."

He nodded in approval, obviously satisfied that I had given him an answer. He took a quick sip of his drink, his eyes always calculating and weary as he gazed at the scenery passing us by, the beautiful bright colours such a contrast to my dark, murky mood.

"Also, Rosemarie," Abe started, his eyes cast to my expecting face, his mouth rising in a cruel smirk. "You will not speak unless spoken to. I cannot risk the possibility of your past leaking into my business. You will be polite and complaisant, If one of my colleagues, or if God forbid, Eric Dragomir, is to speak to you, you will answer politely, and offer no information of your time in New York, Understood?"

I couldn't award him with a verbal answer this time, settling for a weak, embarrassed curt nod of the head. I ran my hands along my thighs, trying to smooth out the invisible creases, looking for something to do other than gaze into the hate-filled eyes of my father.

Finally, the car stopped and the Chauffeur, wearing the acquired uniform, hat and all, strolled over to the black door, opening it to reveal our family. Abe presented himself first, followed by Holly, then Eddie and finally me. Standing outside the amazingly impressive mansion was a crowd of LA's snooty aristocratic elites, each of them dressed very much like my family. I could see their calculating eyes as they inspected the well known daughter of Ibrahim Mazur. A slight blush rose to my cheeks as I felt all eyes on my famous family. It was true that we were extremely well known, recognized through my father's work and his companies, which were located in a lot of countries all over the world, I found the whole situation to be extremely uncomfortable.

We climbed up the huge stone steps, to enter the grand foyer of the amazing Dragomirs home. As soon my fathers foot hit the inside, peoples heads snapped around curiously, causing a beautifully blonde man to open his arms wide with a huge cheery smile.

"Ibrahim!" The familiar man chuckled. "Welcome to my humble abode."

My father plastered a great smile on his face, a smile that I had never seen before. "Thank you, Eric. You've already met my wife, Holly, but may I introduce you to my children?" His twisted around and put a hand on my shoulder, his other on the broad shoulder of Eddie. He gave a stern looking before turning around, smiling at his friend. "This is Edison and Rosemarie."

"Beautiful names." Eric commented, turning around as if looking for someone. Finally his eyes lit up. "I have two children of my own. Ah-here they come."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes in disgust as Lissa Dragomir walked towards her handsome father, her dress made of a light green, emphasising her eyes magnificently. Behind her, was her gorgeous brother, Andre whose eyes lit up considerably when he set the on me. I had piano lessons with him the night before, and you could say we had come fast friends.

"This is Vasilisa and Andre." Eric said proudly, gazing at his beautiful children with such love in his eyes. I felt a pang of jealousy in my gut.

"I believe I already acquainted with your son, he teaches Rosemarie to play the piano." Abe said, keeping the false, stupid smile on his face, gazing at Andre who had his eyes firm on me.

"Is that right?" Eric said, standing impressively straight in his perfect suit, assessing me with warm green eyes. He looked so much like Andre that I had to blink a few times, probably looking like a fish flung out of water. He then turned to his son. "You didn't tell me you were giving lessons, son."

He shrugged and placed his hands in his pockets. "Didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

Eric simply chuckled and placed a callused-free hand on my father's broad shoulder. "Say, Ibrahim, why don't we leave the kids to do their thing. A man from the board of education is here tonight, I'd love to introduce him to you."

"Very well," Abe said with a chuckle that turned my insides. "I'll be one moment." He turned to me, placing a soft hand on my bare shoulder under my long hair. To anyone watching, it was a nice moment between father and daughter, but what people didn't see, was the tight hand he pressed into my shoulder. "Remember, do not make a fool of me." With that, he walked away with Eric, Holly on his arm. I rolled my eyes and turned to my brother, Lissa and Andre. I swallowed in fear and tried to collect myself again, after I was sure I was okay, I smiled and watched the gorgeous guy before me.

"Hey, thought you didn't like the whole 'sensible partying thing'" I said, eyeing his gorgeous tux. "And I distinctly remember you saying you didn't like to wear tuxes."

He ran a hand through his soft hair, his mouth rising into a genuine smile, his eyes bright. "Well, when I heard you were coming tonight, I couldn't resist, could I?"

"C'mon," Eddie said, pretending to barf. "Let's keep up this sophisticated behaviour, no need to surpass a PG rating, kids."

Andre chuckled, patting my brother on the shoulder, his movements amused and happy. His green, beautiful eyes switching to me every few seconds. I averted my eyes away, and they fell upon the awkward figure of Lissa, who was glancing at me in curiosity. Within seconds I heard a nasally laugh, I turned around to see Avery, Mia and Sonya, each of them walking towards us. I resisted the urge to barf, watching my brother do the same thing. Although he was their friends, there was only so much of Lissa and The Tart Trio you could take.

"Hey Eddie," The girls said simultaneously, their eyes filled with content and happiness.

"Hey, guys." Eddie said uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. I knew that it was on my behalf that he wasn't comfortable, but I let that pass. The only thing about these girls that made me uncomfortable was that their almost naked boobs were poking me in the eye.

Lissa's smile grew as her friends joined her side. She kept glancing at me, but where Avery glared at me like she had something over my head, Lissa just assessed me curiosity, as if she was cracking a code.

"Shall we go to the ballroom?" Andre said, lifting his arm for me to take. I wrapped my bare arm around his muscled one, and we walked in the direction of the ball room where the 'affair' was in full power. I relished in seeing Avery's tight annoyed expression as she glared at Andres arm around me. I could almost hear the profanities running through her mind. The group walked together, Eddie surrounded by the Trio, Lissa walking a head, her eyes vacant.

Finally we made it to the dancehall were large groups of rich couples drank sophistically and danced to the ancient classical music. I smiled as I watched two small girls dance together, their puffy dresses extravagant and over the top, I wondered how their mother looked, if she was insane enough to dress her children this way. Andre inspected the crowd before he detached himself from me.

"I'm going to get us some drinks…" He said with a pleasant smile. "Any requests?"

"Surprise me." I purred, loving how his eyes twinkled. He turned around, running a hand through his hair, and made way to the bar. I turned around to see my brother making his way towards us. His eyes snapped to Andre who was making his way to get us our drinks.

"Excuse me, Ladies." Eddie charmingly, taking his arms away from Mia and Sonya. I briefly wondered where Dimitri was through all this seeing as his sister was here, dressed in a gown that was absolutely stunning. My thoughts were interrupted when Eddie grabbed my arm and dove in to whisper in my ear.

"Please tell me you aren't getting a drink?" He asked, a tint of panic in his voice.

"No, Andre's getting the drinks." I said and felt him relax. "I'm just drinking them."

He tensed again and back away, his eyes wide and annoyed. "This isn't a good idea, Rose."

"I'm not going to get trashed, just a few drinks and that'll do." I protested, ignoring how Avery watched me with glee in her eye.

"It's never a 'few drinks' with you Rose." Eddie said, desperation laced in each syllable. He looked at Andre who was leaning against the bar counter, talking to the tender. "Okay, just be careful. I'll keep an eye out for you."

"I don't need you to-"

"Yes. You Do." Eddie warned angrily. "Stop trying to act like you don't need anyone. You drink more than three drinks, and I'm driving you home."

"What? With no car?" I taunted, crossing my arms. Glad for once that I had arrived in a limo.

He turned away from me, to join a few of his friends that he caught sight of. "Three drinks Rose, three drinks!" he called smartly, walking away from me.

At times like this, I wish Tasha and Christian were here. Maybe even Natalie. I felt lonely in a room full of people, feeling like an outcast and a loner. I noticed people still watched me, and I tried as best as I could to ignore them. Andre arrived, drinks in hand. He presented me with a smart smile and place the cocktail in my hand.

"What is it?" I asked curiously, eyeing the cherry at the bottom of the glass. I sniffed it and smelt the distinct odour of whiskey.

"A Manhattan." He said, sipping at his own drink. I winched at the name, remembering my home and bringing a sense of fear, based on Abe's warning. Andre didn't seem to notice as he lightly placed a hand on my wrist.

"You want to sit?" He asked, motioning towards the large tables perfectly stationed around the room, a large crystal vase filled with amazing lilies and roses on each table.

"Sure." I said, taking another sip and joining a table filled with what looked like college kids. They nodded at Andre as he sat and like the rest of the room, the group assessed me in curiosity. Andre very kindly pulled out a chair for me to sit, tucking me in and then sitting next to me. He provided me with a reassuring smile and began introducing me to the crew, each of them greeting me kindly.

We began talking, Andre standing up a few times to refill my drinks. I continued chatting away to Andre's friends, answering any questions they may had, avoiding anything that would piss off Abe. They seemed to think I was funny, laughing at many things I had to say. Andre finally joined us, giving me my third and final drink. I gave me a friendly butterfly kiss on the cheek before sitting down. I decided not to look into it that much, it was only a peck, but when I looked around, my eyes fell upon the cloudy grey eyes of Avery Lazar, whose face was upturned in rage, her eyes blazing. I turned around feeling smug that I could create that anger in someone I hated.

I lifted my glass and took another drink, bringing my eyes to the door, fear coursing through me, causing me to drop my glass, the liquid pouring down my beautiful dress. Abe stood at the door, fire in his eyes as he glared at me in anger. He lifted one leg in front of the other as he stormed to where I sat. I turned around in fear to see the table looking at me as if I had six heads, my eyes frightened eyes turned to Andre who was standing up.

"C'mon, Rose." He said, placing a hand on my arm. "Lets get you cleaned up."

We didn't have time to get cleaned up however, as Abe came up to us, his gelled hair still neat saying he was in control, though his eyes said otherwise. He grabbed my hand softly and brought me to him. "Excuse me Gentlemen, I can take it from here." He smiled sweetly and once he turned his back and once we were out of sight, he spun on me, his gelled hair falling out of place and his face became a deep red.

"I knew that I shouldn't have listened to your step mother!" Abe roared, his words muffled by the sound of the sea crashing against the rocks. "You stupid, stupid girl!"

"Wh-what?" I stuttered, backing away from his flinging arms, his outrage sending him ballistic. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Really?" Abe said, standing still, crossing his arms and wiping away spray from his chin. "Flirting with college men, drinking and then that spectacle when you spilt your disgusting alcohol over your dress?"

"Hold up!" I said, not sure whether or not Abe would turn to violent means in public, but you never knew with him- he was capable of anything. "I was _not _flirting, and like it matters if I was drinking! So was Eddie and all his friends!"

"Edison hasn't been sent to prison and isn't an addict!" Abe growled angrily. "I honestly do not know why I took you in Rosemarie, from the day you where born, you have been _nothing _but trouble. Your mother doesn't want you, I don't want you!"

"THEN LET ME GO!" I screamed, feeling dejected and lost. The fear of being alone burst through my mind, living in the streets having no where to stay; it scared me, but nothing was worse than living through this torture. "LET ME GO HOME!"

"Home?" Abe chuckled in amusement, humour in his eyes. "You have no home, Rosemarie, not anymore."

"Fine." I said, bunching my dress up to free my legs. "You go and tell all your employees, partners, representatives that you kicked me out. That I'm a criminal; I'm sure that would do wonders for your reputation."

With that, not giving him a chance to reply, I stormed down the stone steps thankful no one was there to see me this way. I continued to rush down, hearing Abe yell profanities to me. I resisted the urge to run up and kick the shit out of him, but I settled for yelling 'Fuck up' at him, and with not seeing where I was going, I crashed into someone.

The tall figure turned around to see the angry face of Dimitri Belikov, dressed in a tux- he had seen everything.


	5. Chapter 5

**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The orginal content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

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_Hello.. So It didn't take as long to update this time (: So I hope you and enjoy, and don't forget to review._

_I want to give a great BIG special thanks to my beta, **Valdeh**, who brillantly edited my story, which probably wouldn't have been updated so soon if I didn't have her. Loveya Valdeh XOXOX_

**Chapter songs-**

**_Karma Police- Radiohead (Abe, Dimitri & Rose)_

** _Uninvited- Alanis Morisette (Dimitri and Rose)_

** _Kryptonite- 3 Doors Down (Dimitri)__  
_

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**_Chapter five- _**_Leaving and Changing..._

**"Our only security is our ability to change"~ ****John Lilly**

_**Dimitri…**_

Dimitri stayed outside throughout the whole ordeal. He despised impersonating someone that he wasn't- he didn't have the riches the group before him had. They drove sports cars and had the best and only the best. Dimitri, on the other hand, owned a second hand motorcycle and the only chance he ever had of getting the 'best' was if he won it during a gamble, which rarely happened, considering how bad luck occasionally followed him like a bad stench. He ignored the constant chatter of the aristocrats, and lifted his cigarette to his mouth for one last draw. He inhaled its poison, letting it escape through his nose and lips; dropped it and watched the finished bud fall to floor before he stomped it out with his foot, the ashes sticking to his boots.

The party goers strolled back into the generous mansion, leaving him alone outside. He contemplated about the situation he was stuck in, he could leave and probably get an ear full from Sonya, or he could stay and let the constant vanity and bullshit of the rich bastards' decay his sanity - or what was left of it. He chose the former, deciding that Sonya could look after herself. It took her months to save up for the dress she's wearing right now; she would fit right in, this thought confirmed his answer. He was going to leave.

Dimitri plunged a hand deep into his pocket, feeling loose change, his cell, a condom and finally, his bike keys. He started for the stairs, keys in hand, letting them swing around his large index finger when he heard an unexpected screech from the balcony- the very balcony he had just escaped from. He stayed were he was, pausing his finger swinging, to listen to the curious couple.

"Hold up!" He heard a familiar voice yell, turning around he saw a tinge of fear threading through her otherwise firm words. "I was not flirting, and like it matters if I was drinking! So were Eddie and all his friends!"

"Edison hasn't been sent to prison and he isn't an addict!" A voice Dimitri would never forget said. He felt a surge of anger pulse through him; he decided to keep quiet for now, digging the sharp keys into his hands to silence his anger, which was not an easy task for a guy like Dimitri to do. "I honestly do not know why I took you in Rosemarie, from the day you were born; you have been nothing but trouble. Your mother doesn't want you, I don't want you!"

Dimitri realised that it was the Rose girl that he was suppose to 'befriend' that was being yelled at, and he decided that what this girl was going through at that moment was not only cruel but unnecessary. If it had not been that Ibrahim bastard, he would have walked away, not giving the slightest shit what happened to the girl or how she might be feeling, but Dimitri was looking for any excuse to kick the living fuck out of the man he despised so much. For one moment, Dimitri decided to stay masked.

"THEN LET ME GO!" Rose yelled, anger exploding from her words, hopefully smacking Ibrahim on the face. "LET ME GO HOME!" Through this short argument, Dimitri had gathered so much information for Avery. One, she was an addict, but of what exactly? He knew drinking was a part of that, but was that were the addiction stopped? Or did the list go on? From the looks of it, it seemed like she really wanted to go home, she truly hated her father and her father and mother seemed to dislike her too. Then the last one sent shock waves through him; this Rose chick had been sent to prison, what for though, was the big question mark.

"Home?" Abe smartly said, humour deep in his words. Dimitri couldn't see him, though he was willing to bet everything he had, which wasn't much, that his eyes were bright in amusement, watching his daughter squirm under his patronizing gaze. "You have no home, Rosemarie, not anymore."

"Fine." Rose cheekily said, giving Dimitri a sense of the feistiness that he had witnessed earlier. "You go and tell all your employees, partners, representatives that you kicked me out. That I'm a criminal, I'm sure that would do wonders for your reputation." Dimitri started to run once he heard the sound of moving heels which were obviously moving towards the stone steps in which he was standing on. With his long legs, he darted down the coble stairs two at a time, to stand at the bottom, hoping Rose wouldn't witness his escape.

"FUCK UP!" He heard the girl scream one last time after her father yelled her name a few times then felt her crashing into his back. He let out a little 'offt' not expecting the impact and he turned around to assess the small girl, his eyes stayed sharp as he inspected her.

Her cheeks were a bright red, her eyes glassy as tears built up behind them and she held her beautiful silk dress in a bunch at her thighs, revealing her great legs. Along the front, right at the bust was a splatter of a dark brown/red liquid, ruining the once gorgeous dress. Her heels added height, but not much compared to his giant form. Her beautiful face was shocked, but anger still shadowed her features. Dimitri's eyes continued to assess her in silence, watching Rose's beautiful hair. He had never noticed how pretty and gorgeous this girl was until now. He had always heard the guys around the school talking about how hot she was, and Dimitri didn't disagree at all, he just didn't see anything special, though he was probably being biased based on the hatred he felt towards her dad. Looking again however, watching her wonderfully long, outstandingly exquisite locks, he was entranced; this girl was one of a kind- Rose Hathaway was stunning.

"Please tell me you just didn't hear that?" She growled her eyes bright as she dropped her dress, letting it flow down her legs like a sexy waterfall.

"I can't promise you anything." Dimitri confidently said, folding his thick arms, watching as the girl before him squirmed in annoyance. Her arms straight, stuck to her waist and her small hands bunched up into tight fists.

She exhaled, and ran a shaky hand through her hair, her deep, beautiful eyes snapped up and glared at him. "Listen, Pretty Boy," She growled, her spine-chillingly intimidating voice gave her a rough edge, and through this Dimitri felt that Avery had underestimated this girl, underestimated her a lot. "You tell anyone what went on there, _and I promise_, I will grab the closest sharp object, and I will castrate you, understood?"

"I'm guessing I should take you seriously," Dimitri chuckled, watching her eyes blaze further. "Is castrating exceedingly good-looking men your speciality? I bet hot males all over the globe are terrified now that you're out of the slammer. Not that I would know, I'm not among the men afraid of a walking ball chopper."

"You may not be 'among' the cowards all over the fucking planet" She uttered her eyes dark. "But you'll definitely be among the men that I've snipped if you don't shut the hell up."

"A whole community of ball-less men?" Dimitri asked sarcastically. "Sign me up. I'll be a lord amongst them. Belikov: The man with Balls."

"Ugh!" She screamed, bunching her skirt back up she stormed past him. She stopped suddenly when that disturbing voice boomed through the empty garden.

"Rosemarie!" Old Man Mazur yelled in frustration. "Don't take another step!"

"Oh fuck off, Abe!" Rose yelled, and Dimitri could see the dam of angry tears building in her eyes again.

Mazur stormed to his daughter and grabbed her shoulder with force, bringing her to him, Rose's face contorted in pain. He obviously didn't care about Dimitri's presence and he obviously didn't seem to remember who Dimitri was. Dimitri could see how hard he was pressing his bony fingers into Rose's arm and shoulder, and whether Dimitri liked Rose or not was irrelevant at this point. He stepped forward and smacked away Ibrahim's hand just as harshly as he had handled his daughter.

"Dude, she said fuck off." Dimitri growled, his tall form towering over the smaller man. Ibrahim did not back away however, if anything, he seemed to grow in height and became more controlling and angry.

"This is _my_ daughter, you imbecile!" Ibrahim thwarted, looking at Dimitri as if he was a piece of shit. "You have no authority over me, and you have no right over what happens to my daughter, so if you will excuse us."

"No, I will not _excuse_ you." Dimitri growled, ripping Ibrahim's hand from Rose's shoulder once again. "Don't touch her, Old man."

Ibrahim chuckled darkly and with the hand that Dimitri had just pushed away, he grabbed Rose's wrist, much to Rose's disgust. Dimitri knew that from looking at her face that she was going to abide her father's command, and probably run later but Dimitri wasn't going to stand for it. It was known by all that Dimitri was a modern day Casanova but that was euphemistic- he had been called worse; ladies man, womanizer, man whore, player, lady killer and they were the nicest of names- but he would never treat a woman with disrespect. They needed to be treated delicately, needed to be worshipped, and Ibrahim was hurting his daughter, who was half his age and was far smaller than his tall frame.

Dimitri gripped the old man's hand and shoved it away again, placing Rose behind him. She stepped out and glared at Dimitri. "I don't need you to protect me, Comrade."

Ibrahim grabbed his daughter's wrist again and began walking away, but Dimitri couldn't resist the hatred bubbling, like a deadly elixir, inside him. He stepped in front of the beautiful girl and her father, his tall body towering over them. He snatched Ibrahim's strong hand and forced it away.

"Keep your repulsive hands off me, you disgusting boy." Ibrahim protested angrily, his eyes blazing evilly.

"You gonna keep your fucking hands to yourself?" Dimitri growled, his eyes dark and sinister. They snapped to the petite beauty before him who glared at Dimitri in rage.

"Again, boy, you have no power over me." Abe chuckled sickly, "She is my daughter and I can do whatever I want to her."

"Want to test that theory?" Dimitri warned, taking a step closer to the smaller man. "Go on, I dare you. Touch her and see how many limbs you can retrieve afterwards."

Dimitri saw the slightest twist of fear pulse through the old man's eyes, though he hid it well. "Do not threaten me boy."

"Oh, it isn't a threat, I'm beyond threats." Dimitri said sinisterly, watching how Rose watched him, a weird look in her beautiful eyes. "I make promises, and I promise that if you grab her like that again, you'll be crawling away with fewer appendages than you came here with."

Dimitri stepped forward and bent his head so that his nose was almost touching the older mans, his brown eyes menacing. "Okay, okay." Rose said, stepping in pulling her father away from him. Dimitri stood tall once again and glared at the old man, who still looked stellar, though Dimitri could see a slight tint of fear. It was clear to him that this man was a bully, picking on those he knew he could manipulate; Dimitri also suspected Ibrahim remembered who he was. "That's enough, just leave Dimitri."

"And leave you with this crook? I don't think so." Dimitri said, taking off his tux jacket to reveal a shirt covering his muscled chest.

"I don't need you to fucking protect me, Belikov." Rose said angrily, her arm slowly leaving her fathers. "Now piss off."

"C'mon, I'll take you to Tasha's. You don't need to go through this crap." He glared at the old man again. "He's not getting another chance to hurt you."

"I can look after myself just fine, thanks." Rose protested. Dimitri had gathered that she didn't like to be saved; and based on her feisty attitude he was willing to bet that she could look after herself, but her father was no doubt her weak spot.

"You don't have a ride though." Dimitri stated cockily. He raised his eyebrow at her, mocking her to rebut his statement then the snake himself spoke.

"I'll be having a stern conversation with you at a later time, Rosemarie." He stated. "For the mean time, go on and act like the hooligan you are, whilst you can." With that, Ibrahim Mazur walked back into the huge mansion, his face redder then it had been before he stepped outside, his hair a mess and his breathing harsh.

"I can handle myself, you know." Rose said, turning her back towards Dimitri, walking towards his bike. "There was no need for you to do that."

"Yeah, whatever," Dimitri said, brushing the annoying comment aside.

"What? Are you saying I can't handle myself?" She asked, spinning around in annoyance.

"Not with him." Dimitri admitted, putting his hands in his pocket, his tux jacket over his broad shoulder. "Not only is he a guy, but he's twice your size; you have no chance. If he wanted to, he could seriously hurt you, which he probably would have done had I not stepped in. I couldn't give two shits if he's your dad. He had no right to handle you like that."

"Where do you get off telling me whether or not I can defend myself?" She snapped her hands framed her hips, showing off her curves. "You've done nothing but act like a rude prick around me for the past five weeks, you have no right to say whether or not I can handle myself; you have no fucking clue."

"I know more than you think. If anything this proves how defenceless you are; I've been acting like a dick, and you haven't done anything about it." He said truthfully, leaning against a wall the stood beside them. He could see his bike over Rose's pretty little head, and wondered whether bringing her to Tasha's was a good idea. "Not to mention Avery and the rest have been torturing you."

"You know what?" Rose protested, running an agitated hand through her stunning locks. "I think I'll pass on that ride."

"What, you going to walk to Tasha's?" Dimitri replied, provoking her, enjoying how she picked up her pace in a futile attempt of escaping him.

"If that's what it takes to get away from you; then yeah, I will." She replied gathering her dress again to her thighs, Dimitri found her legs sexy as hell.

"Don't be irrational," Dimitri laughed, walking in step with her, able to catch up extremely quickly because of her small legs. "You're just putting yourself in a position you know your going to regret. Get on the bike and stop acting like a brat."

Dimitri could see the offense radiating off Rose's face but she complied, snapping the black helmet from Dimitri's grasp and placing it over her head. Dimitri glanced at her in shock, to which she just shrugged, his hands still wide open and empty. "Better you than me." She said, and Dimitri found it incredibly amusing that she brushed off his possible death so easily. Unable to see her face, Dimitri helped her on the back, which she immediately testified against, pushing him away.

"I know how to climb a bike." She complied, kicking her sexy leg over the black machine. Dimitri's mouth rose in a lady-killer smile, feeling the left side rise higher than the right- a smile that was designed to melt a woman's heart. Dimitri could not put into words how sexy Rose looked at that moment, dominant and in control, bare legs standing out against the dark paint of his bike, loving how her high heel rested against the foot rest. "I used to ride one back in New York."

For some reason, Dimitri didn't find this surprising in the least. "Yeah, I bet that wasn't the only thing you had a ride on in New York."

"You disgust me." Rose admitted whilst Dimitri climbed onto the front part of the sleek bike. Her legs touched his and her hands clamped to the seat.

"Well, disgusting things are my speciality. Kind of like your castrating fetish, only my speciality is a hell of a lot hotter." He complied, starting the engine.

"Well to each their own." She muttered under the helmet.

He kick started the bike, letting his foot balance it as it started, and once it started moving he released the clutch gradually lifting his foot to rest next to Rose's. His helmet free head caused his hair to gust past his face, the air smacking across his bare cheeks and forehead. He noticed that Rose was literally hanging on for her life, her fingers practically indented onto the seat.

"I'm not going to bite." He chuckled, grabbing one arm and placing it around his waist. "Well, unless you're into that kind of thing."

She lifted a hand smacked his shoulder, creating a smile of his face, both of them amused as they breezed through the calm LA night.

**oX.o.x.**

_**Rose…**_

I kept my arms firm around his muscled waist as he drove madly through traffic. I tried to ignore the feeling of his rock hard muscles flexing and tightening as he steered the motorcycle, each wire of hot muscle pressing against my arm and stomach. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down by evaluating the situation- I was homeless, riding on the back of a motorcycle that belonged to the person I just happened to hate. I was wearing an extremely fancy gown, its never-ending material flowing behind the zooming vehicle like a cape, revealing more of my legs than I would have cared to expose.

I tightened my grip on the asshole sitting before me as he swerved past a car, both of us ignoring the loud honks of passing vehicles, each driver obviously pissed that this dickhead was on the road- and they weren't the only ones. Although I was grateful that he was giving me a lift to my friend's house, I was still unbelievably pissed at him; he had no right to defend me from my father- I could defend myself.

It was a pride thing. I despised it when people assumed that I was at threat purely based on the fact that I'm a girl and that I'm smaller than your average seventeen year old. It infuriated me when guys thought they could protect or rescue me when I rarely needed it. Dimitri claimed that I didn't know how to defend myself against my father, and whether he was true or not was irrelevant. Who the hell did he think he was; finally talking to me after all this time, only to practically insult me and my ability to stick up for myself. He was mocking me.

After riding in silence for a long time, letting the scenery slowly go from the flashy, expensive life of the aristocrats, to the beat down, plain neighbourhoods splattered throughout the area. With the speed that Dickitri was driving it, I scarcely set my eyes upon St. Basil's Academy, which was a far stretch from St. Vladimir's. St. Vladimir's was a prestigious, stuck up school filled with the real deal, or wanna-be's, each person dying to the top of the social pyramid, some were at the bottom, some at the top. I could tell immediately, even with that one glance, that St. Basil's was another story, it looked rough and hard; I had a feeling it was an academy that hosted delinquents- not really that surprising considering these were the people Dimitri and Tasha hung out with.

After passing St. Basil's, within in minutes, Dimitri had abruptly stopped, and I collided against his hard back causing me to hug tighter than I already was. I felt, more than heard, his chest rumble as he released a series of infectious snickers. I took the black helmet off my head, letting my hair fall over my face and allowing the wind to whip my hair behind me. Dimitri climbed off the bike before me, watching my hair with that god damned crooked smile of his. It was impossible not to accept that Dimitri was hot- extremely hot, and he knew it. His douche bag tendencies made him extraordinarily annoying and there was no doubt that he was an egotistical, narcissistic asshole.

"No point in looking at me that way, Pretty Boy." I said comically, throwing my leg over the beautiful machine, letting my high heels hit the hard, gummed ground. "I'm not going to fall for it."

His lady-killer smirk grew in magnitudes, his left eyebrow slightly arching. "And what, pray tell, is this 'it' you're idiotically referring to?"

"Oh, you know," I began, walking towards the apartments where Tasha and Christian lived. "The whole smirk thing- the smirk that is irresistible to women. Believe me, Romeo, your efforts are wasted on this train wreck; it doesn't work on me."

"I wasn't aware I had a smirk that was irresistible to you ladies," He said, awarding me with a wink, that I'm afraid to say, twisted my stomach with butterflies. He started walking away without any other comment, and I didn't know what to say to him…how could he not know how much power he held in the one tug of the lip? It wielded the power to seriously crush a girls heart, to create feelings that someone might not want and quite frankly, it was a smile that made girls like myself, want to jump him and do dirty, naughty, bad things to him. He suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at me, and I couldn't help but look at how his trousers hung low of his defined waist, how he was wired with thick hot muscles, covering every inch of his body and last of all, I checked out that life-changing, heart-stopping smirk. "Oh, and Rose? I don't believe for one second-" He lifted his hand and framed his beautiful face. "That this doesn't do it for you."

"You are so arrogant!" I groaned in anger, watching how he chuckled in amusement-obviously enjoying how much of a shitty time I was having in his presence.

"I'm also extraordinarily pretty," He said, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal. I rolled my eyes and decided to ignore his big-headedness. Walking into the lobby of Tasha's apartments, I spun around and faced the gorgeous man before me; his long, sex hair fell in strands framing his deep eyes, that eyebrow began to rise again as he watched me assess him.

"Thanks for the ride, but I can take it from here." I said, folding my arms to shield for myself from the harsh, cold air-conditioning. Dimitri rolled his eyes and then took a step forward, standing far too close than I cared to be, but I didn't dare move, entranced by the heat radiating from his lean body and hypnotized by his dark, sharp eyes as they looked down on me.

"I'm coming up too." Was all he said, his arms crossed against his impressive chest.

"What? No, I need you to protect me-"

"Don't' flatter yourself, Hathaway; you're going to embarrass yourself." He retaliated, his dark eyes darkening by the second, and I felt my throat bob as I swallowed. Even looking down at me, an incomprehensible emotion thick in his pit-less eyes, I couldn't help but appreciate how hot this asshole was. "Tasha's my friend too. Now, if you don't mind my impetuous manner of conducting myself; would you please move out of my way?" Although his words were polite and slightly smart-assed, his tone was almost annoyed and vexed; there was no doubt in my mind that if I didn't move he would forcefully move me himself. I considered it for a second, but decided against it, willing to prove that I honestly didn't need a protector and able to stand up for myself.

"No." I said firmly, copying his stance by folding my arms over my bosom, keeping my eyes firm on his. He seemed to grasp onto the fact that I was playing a game, he knew rightly what I was trying to achieve, and it was obvious that he was going to humour me. "Don't tell me what to do."

"I would strongly advise you to step out of the ludicrous idea of validating your independency or whatever the hell it is your doing," He said, leaning against the brick wall, his eyes frighteningly calm. "We've already established this subject more times than I cared to, and quite honestly, I don't want to back track into that territory- so move." He insisted placing a hand on my shoulder, which I immediately shoved away.

"Don't touch me," I warned, keeping my stance firm. I knew I could handle myself; I worked out enough to have a slim yet muscled body and my moves were swift- Dickitri knew nothing. "Put another hand on me, and I swear; I will pound you into granules, Pretty Boy."

Dimitri's eyes narrowed as he assessed me, neither of us spoke for a long time, and the lobby was empty, providing us with a long, deep and intense silence. Finally after what seemed like years, he spoke. "I'll make a proposition to see if you really can handle yourself- you lose? We drop the subject and for the benefit of my sanity, never bring it up again, and if you win? I will solemnly promise to never step in and 'protect' you again."

I assessed his eyes, and gained a sense of how bored of this he really was; he honestly believed I was a weak girl who couldn't handle herself. "Fine, what's the catch?"

With speed of lightening he clamped his large hand around my thin arm, holding onto it with a firm grasp, yet not hard enough to leave a bruise. I was surprised at first, gazing up at his expecting eyes, and finally I caught on. "You want me to escape?"

"You can certainly try." He taunted his eyes the same black, a dark cauldron filled with deadly venom. That god damned, sexy smirk was glued to his lips, making it extremely hard to concentrate. His hold on me, connecting us together, was both terrifying and thrilling.

I tugged my arm as hard as I could, thinking that I could rip if from his grasp but I had no such luck. I continued to batter against him using my remaining hand and free legs, all the while flinging my captured arm, trying to break free, but he kept the iron hold on my upper arm, and I was starting to feel as though I was going to lose this bet. I hit him hard one last time, but it made no impact to his built body. I sagged against him and sighed in defeat.

"That's it?" Dickitri taunted a wolfish grin on his face. "I thought you had more fight in you, Roza."

"I could still, say, stake your foot with my heel or kick you in the balls?" I offered hoping that either of these options provided me with the escape I so desperately craved. I kept my voice cheery, never revealing to him the emotions he was making me feel; fear, anger, embarrassment.

"Try it." He replied, no hint of amusement in his words; he was deadly serious, the sentence stern and hard.

"Okay, whatever you say," I said jokingly, lifting my leg and before I even decided which tactic I wanted to use, he had spun me around with such speed and force, bashing me into the wall, knocking the breath out of my already corrupt lungs. He pressed himself against me, which provided me with no means of escape, and he brought his mouth to my ear, his noise skimming the skin beside it whilst the rest of his rock hard body, pressed tightly against my soft, whimpering one.

"You see?" He simply said, his word not light in the slightest- this was business. "You lose. This time you've lost your integrity and a lousy bet, but you could have lost worst; your life. Watch what you say to people, there are a lot of worse men out there than me."

"Okay, okay, you've made your point!" I protested desperate to break free from his grasp. My breath was caught in my throat when his nose traced a circle under my ear; a current of shivers invaded my body, causing me to shudder at his touch; something I didn't want to do. I placed my free hands against his chest and pushed lightly, not enough to move him, but enough for him to know that I wanted out. He back away almost hesitantly, his eyes stayed on my shoulders. I glanced down and looked at the place where his eyes bore into and saw long finger shaped bruises that had been covered by my hair, but had obviously been moved during the whole 'proving a point' ordeal.

"Who did that to you?" Dimitri asked angrily, his eyes darkening even more than his usual black, bubbles of hatred clearly visible.

"It's nothing; let it go." I protested, turning my back. It was the bruises that Abe had created when he whispered in my ear before walking away to join Eric Dragomir. They didn't hurt, and it was evident that Dimitri was about to make a deal out of something that wasn't. I continued walking up the stairs, anticipating seeing my best friend. I could almost feel the tension between Dimitri and myself, my face becoming redder as his movements became more agitated. I lifted the dress again, freeing my legs from the constant tangle of silk.

In silence, we reach Tasha's door, and although this apartment wasn't her property, as she was renting it, her front door was decorated with little stickers and signs, very much like the badges on her backpack for school. The door was very colourful and I felt a huge smile tug from the corners of my mouth as I lifted my hand and tapped the door. From behind the door, I heard very suspicious and disgusting noises, the sound of clothes rushing up a body was clear, especially when whoever it was started doing up a belt.

Tasha answered the door after a few minutes, face slightly red and her chest rising and falling repeatedly, her hair was extremely messy and in the rush to dress herself, she had missed a few buttons on her pink shirt, my eyes almost popped out their sockets at seeing her wearing pink, but I decided to let it pass, looking at her red face. I smirked and pointed towards her duck fluff hair, which stuck up in every direction. "Nice sex hair." I commented, ignoring Dimitri's snort of amusement.

"It is not sex hair!" Tasha protested, running a shaky hand through her short spike. I chuckled, seeing her face redden. Suddenly, the Tasha I loved and knew came back, dominating the awkward situation, placing a hand on her waist. "So, like you haven't had your fair share of sex hair, Cupcake." She retorted, her eye brow arching very much like Dimitri's.

"I'm not saying that I haven't." I said, raising my hands in defence. "I was merely complimenting you; the just-finished-fucking look is great on."

"Honey, although I am sex on toast with jizz beans," Tasha said modestly, "_Everyone_ looks great after fucking."

"Okay, enough." Dimitri purred; humour gleaming in his deep eyes. "Seeing as how you and your new little recruit are having a wild, hot sex marathon, it only makes sense to add Rose into the equation, and myself, of course."

Tasha smirked in half amusement, half annoyance. She picked up the first thing in reach, which happened to be a ceramic Bob Marley, and she flung the ornament at Dimitri, creating him to cough when it hit his stomach violently. I laughed as Tasha opened the door, revealing a colourful and fun looking apartment. On the red sofa, lay a very pretty girl who looked more sexed up than Tasha had, wearing a black tank top, and then it hit me, Tasha and this girl had obviously grabbed each other's tops in the rush to get dressed. I could see a pair of lacy underwear hanging from a tall, cream lamp. I shivered in repugnance.

"You guys are such cock blockers." Tasha whimpered sitting next to the girl she just had sex with, lifting her legs and allowing them to lay on her lap.

"Hah!" Dimitri chuckled in amusement, glancing at the girl lying down on the sofa, looking very heated. "I don't see how we could have possibly blocked anyone's cock, considering there was no cock in this room, until now." He was silent for a minute, and then his mischievous smirk rose, sending thuds throughout my body. "Though if you really do want a cock added into your equation; I'm willing to provide my services."

This time, Tasha hit Dimitri's head with a white pillow that lay behind her. Dimitri simply chuckled and threw the pillow back, hitting her on the face. She moved it down and scowled at the huge prick. "If I ever do need a dick, I'll let you know, asswipe." She retorted with a smirk of her own, to match Dickitri's. "Okay, I want to introduce you guys. Rose, Dimka; this is Meredith." She motioned to the pretty girl who sat herself up. All around her neck where hickeys and I couldn't help but glance at Tasha in disgust, but she simply gave me an impish smile and a shrug of the shoulders. "And Meredith, these sexy bastards here, are my two close friends; Rosemarie Hathaway and Dickitri Belikunt."

I snorted loudly at Tasha's name for Dimitri, loving how his eyes darkened and his scowl deepened. His eyes snapped to mine in anger, but his mouth rose slightly when he saw that I was choking, due to the laughter bursting through my throat. Tasha, smiling at her own joke, quickly grabbed Meredith's hand then skipped into the bathroom, yelling back to us. "Back in a sec guys, we need to swap tops." Yup, I had been right. I could tell from Tasha's expression that she hated being in the colour pink.

It was silent, except for the giggles radiating from the bathroom and my eyes immediately snapped to Dimitri, who was scanning the room, unease plastered through his brown pools. "You have to tell Tasha what went on with your father." He said, catching me by surprise. I was honestly wondering why he was going to so much trouble for me, even if he did have a warm and then cold personality. Maybe his hatred for my father gave him urge to protect me- I didn't know.

"Why do you hate my father so much?" I asked, not only avoiding the statement he had just made, but carefully finding out more about the mystery of a man before me. Around his neck, peeking out from his shirt was a black set of rosary beads, or what I could only see of them; a row of black crystal circles, falling deeper until they were lost in his shirt, leaning against his amazing body. On anyone else, the holy necklace would have looked tacky as hell, but he somehow pulled it off, I watched in amazement how the little beads glistened against the lighting in Tasha's apartment, admiring how the dark colours fitted perfectly with his tanned complexion and twisted personality.

"Isn't the answer to that topic blatantly clear?" He asked; standing up to his tallest stance, folding his arms like he so regularly did. Now that he was pacing the living room, the scar that travelled from the back of his ear to his shoulder was lucidly exposed, his shirt colour covering my idea of how far the scar actually went. He turned his back to me and looked at the artificial fire before him, and I decided at the moment that he wasn't going to give me a straightforward answer. He lifted his arms and placed them on the fireplace, stepping out slightly as he arched his neck and back. The light shone on his sexy back, and through the white material, I could a series of dark, sinister swirls, entwining into an exotic, erotic intricate design. It covered the most part of his back, and now that Dimitri's neck was bent, I could plainly see that the tattoo travelled up where his hair ended, the ink clearly had some meaning, but what that meaning was is beyond anything I could comprehend. I couldn't help but stare.

"If you don't tell Tasha about your father, I will." He warned, turning around to look at me, his messy hair flicking across his forehead. "Even I wouldn't want you living out in the streets, and you're not one of my favourite people in the world."

"Thank you for that pointless consultation, but you don't get to control what I decide; if I want Tasha to know my business, it'll be up to me to inform her, so drop it." I said, getting pretty pissed at how annoying this guy was. His angry eyes darkened again. Jesus, the kid needed to sit down and have a cup of tea or something. "You have no dictation in my opinion, so leave it up to me and stop acting like my father."

Dimitri was in my face all within four seconds and two footsteps, his nose almost pressed against mine as he pinned me to the couch. "Don't you ever," He growled, his breath smacking across my face, his hands caging my head, each arm on either side of it. His hate-filled eyes stayed glued to my cowering form. "Compare me to that man again. Ever."

With that he released me, causing me to release a huge breath, my exhale shaky and weak. Dimitri went back to stand before the fireplace, crossing those violent arms. There was so much I wanted to find out about him; I wanted to crack the puzzle that he was, and not give up like the rest of the world, each and every person content with labelling him as someone who didn't care. I didn't believe that; I couldn't believe it- not yet.

Suddenly, Tasha and her friend (not really up to date with Tasha's love life, I decided this was a suitable guess) bounced from the bathroom, both looking normal in their own clothes. I thankfully praised the God I didn't believe in, that Christian was not present to see his sister this way; it was disturbing. Tasha and Meredith flopped down on the couch and watched both Dimitri and me, Meredith's eyes normal and bright, Tasha's narrowed and scrutinizing.

"What's up?" Tasha asked, tucking her feet under her bum. "And I know I probably should have asked this sooner, but why the hell are you two _together_ for a start, and why are you in my house dressed like that?"

"Rose can fill you in," Dimitri said, digging into his pockets, objects making clanking noises as keys hit off other objects. Finally he lifted his bike keys out and headed for the door. "She idiotically didn't want this told to you which is, like I said, foolish but her bastard of a father kicked her out, and she has no where to stay."

Tasha's jaw hit the carpet and her eyes snapped to me. I dropped my face into my hands, regretting ever agreeing with to Dimitri to come to this place. I could almost see Dimitri's happy grin as he strolled outside, but not before I could yell. "SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR BALLS, BELIKUNT!"

She didn't get a response, but she knew that he had heard. The apartment stayed quiet, the three girls listened to Dimitri's bike rev out of the car park, speeding down the road until he took all the noise with him, leaving us in silence once more. Meredith grabbed a bag and her panties that had been hanging from the lamp, stuffing them into her purse. She coughed nervously and looked at Tasha. "I think I'm going to, ah, head home." She muttered before bending down and placing a peck on Tasha's lips. She walked out of the door whilst still putting on her shoes.

After Meredith's car had left, Tasha turned to me, his voice thick but cracking. "You okay, Cupcake?" She asked scooting closer to my still form. She glanced curiously at my dress which was covering my legs and covered the floor around me, though she didn't ask questions, obviously wanting one based on the disgusting stain on the front.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I uttered trying to gain my temper. I could not believe the nerve of that bastard. I had told him not to tell Tasha, and of course, he disobeyed and literally threw me into the sharks. "Maybe if Dimitri was run over on the way home, I'd be considerably happier, but for now I'm fine."

"You know, he's not so bad once you get to know him," Tasha said in his defence. "Yeah, he's a bastard- but that's just how he is. Some find it incredibly sexy, others, like you and me, find it infuriating and want to kick his dick into the dirt." She smile sweetly at me and placed a hand on my arm. A reassuring gesture that warmed my heart.

"His asshole tendencies cancel any chance he ever had of being hot to me!" I protested, pressing my hands into my eyes. "I've been with him for less than an hour, and I think he's given me a brain tumour!"

"Yeah, he can do that- don't worry the pain leaves after a while," She said, humouring me. All went quiet again and then she sighed. "Don't let him get to you; he's looking for a raise. Just ignore him- He's not used to that. Girls usually fall all over him because of that damn personality."

"Yeah, and that's even more infuriating!" I confessed willingly- Dimitri was hot, it was a fact not an opinion. "I don't understand why all these girls want to be a part of his harem; it's disgusting."

"I don't think you understand the power this guy has over women," Tasha said seriously, standing up to walk into the kitchen which was thankfully beside the living room. "Seriously. This may sound cliché, but he has the ability to make good girls go bad, probably creates religion based on his god damned sexy looks." She sat back down after placing a bowl full of chocolate balls before me. I took it out of her hands, and continuously began popping them into my mouth. "A few weeks back I had to bring Sonya home from a party after I heard that she had got unbelievably trashed, so I brought her to the Belikov house and brought her inside; tucked her in and whatever, and when I walked back outside, I saw that Dimitri's dad's car was moving, and I mean _moving_ as in crashing side to side. Next thing I know, a red stiletto presses against the steamy windows and I can hear a girl screaming 'THIS FEELS SO GOOOOD!' Yeah. Dimitri was fucking a girl inside his Dad's car, and that was probably not the first time he'd done it; probably not the last time either."

"Fuck…" I whispered. I had had sex in many different places, different positions but never would I do it in a parents car. That was just gross, seriously. Tasha seemed to agree, her nose scrunching up as she grabbed the remote and turned on the TV- nothing was on, like usual.

"What's his Dad like?" I asked in curiosity, slipping off my shoes. "Dimitri's, I mean."

"He's a good guy," Tasha said, turning around to face me, a soft smile on her face. "He's in a wheelchair now, something happened to his legs in an accident. Something to do with his knees. He lives with Dimitri now."

"Why doesn't he live with Dimitri's mom?" I asked, really genuinely surprised that Dimitri had his own home.

"Separated a few years ago." Tasha said, grabbing a hand full of the chocolate balls and scoffing them all in one. "His mom is a cop, but Dimitri seems to get away with everything. He's never been caught."

I nodded in understanding, wanting desperately to change the subject. She didn't hate Dimitri anymore, but she did feel a great unease whenever he came into discussion. I cast it out of mind and lied down on the sofa. Tasha glared at me in amusement and then walked away; she came back within seconds bearing clothes for me to wear. I thanked her, almost running into the bathroom to change out of the stupid dress, reminding me of the hideous night.

I grabbed the yards of silk and threw it in the bin beside the sink. I felt as though a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I let out a huge breath. The dress in the trash symbolized me throwing away the elite life, to live the life I was born in; a normal girl with a bad attitude and a hard life. It was what I was made for. I wasn't like Eddie who grew up in luxury, pampered by everyone and was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth; I was a different story, born in Brooklyn New York, bitch of a mother married into a large family, each member of said family, cruel and rude. I grew up quicker than Eddie had, I had to. I couldn't stand my mother, and even at the age of thirteen, I knew that I couldn't depend on her. I was proved totally right when she kicked me out on my ass, which caused me to end up in Mazur Manor.

I smiled evilly at the dress and then stormed out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. Tasha looked up momentarily, a smirk on her face as she assessed me in her black silk pyjama bottoms and a grey Nirvana top. She then turned to the TV, obviously more engrossed in watching South Park. I lied down beside her, and fell asleep on the soft red couch, my eyes closing, and my world falling into a black abyss, all to the sound of Tasha's musical giggles.

_**oX.o.x.**_

_**Dimitri…**_

Dimitri parked outside his yellow tinged house, kicking the stand to his bike violently. He sat on the motorcycle, watching the different shades of bright colours beaming through the cracks of the old, musty curtains, knowing that his father was watching his favourite show; CSI Miami. Dimitri found it highly absurd and stupid, but a lot of things where absurd and stupid to Dimitri. His mind was immediately brought to the angry eyes of Rose Hathaway. She was so set on believing that she needed no one to defend her, no one to save her against someone she couldn't possibly overtake. Dimitri knew he wasn't the one to do it; he would probably cause more damage than actually help the kid.

He stayed on his black Harley, never taking his eyes away from the blurry, blue light breaking through the windows, his father's shadow clearly visible and outstretched against the badly painted walls. Dimitri lifted his pack of cigarettes from his jacket packet and popped one into his mouth, lighting it with a black lighter whilst covering the flames from the slight sea breeze. He hopped off the bike with his first inhale, putting away the packet and the lighter and began to walk up the crooked steps. He leaned against the banister of the stairs, and looked at the forest surrounding his home.

With his exhale, his thoughts changed, always moving like the ticking of a clock; it changed every second, but the hand always circulated around the same numbers, just like Dimitri's so many thoughts changed but stuck around the same subject- Avery. He wondered whether he should pass on the information that he had overheard, not sure what the consequences were. He wasn't particularity partial to the small girl, he wasn't sure whether or not he even enjoyed her company; but one thing was certain- he had made a promise to Avery and he intended to keep it.

His hand snaked into the deep pocket of his cheap tux trousers, pulling out his cell phone. He flicked through his contacts until her name covered his screen, pressing the green call button, he pressed the slightly warm metal to his hear, impatiently listening to the recurring rings as he awaited her answer.

"Hello?" Avery's sweet voice purred from the other side, her tone soft.

"Hey, it's me." Dimitri said, sitting down on the step and exhaling a huge cloud of smoke, flicking his cigarette over a bush to discard any excess ash.

"Hey, baby." She toyed, her voice staying in that constant nasally purr. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"The pleasure's all mine," He flirted back, "But I have something that you might want to hear."

"About Rose?" Avery's voice raised in pitch, excitement laced through every syllable.

"Yeah, about Rose." Dimitri confirmed, taking one last draw from his cancer stick then stomping it out on the stairs before throwing it away into the grass. He exhaled the toxic smoke whilst rubbing the back of his neck, feeling the ragged skin of his large scar and the crystal balls of his rosary beads. "You still at the party?"

"Yeah, want me to move somewhere private?" She asked, and he could hear that buzz which indicated that a bunch of rich, fancy men and women were gossiping behind the phone.

"You can come to my place; the old man's just watching TV." Dimitri offered, standing up and stretching his long back, feeling the satisfaction of a crack.

"No, I can't leave just yet, Andre's absolutely _fuming_ that Rose left, I'm kind of moseying my way closer to him," She admitted, her voice excited and happy. "Before the night ends, I'm going to have that boy naked."

Dimitri chuckled and leaned against the wooden beam connected to the stairs, whilst looking at the pitch black sky. "Well, you're setting yourself up for disappointment; he's not as good looking as me, or as good a fuck." He said, feeling light and amused. "Come down to-"

"Belikov! Will you please focus?" Dimitri could hear the sound of moving heels and before he knew it, the buzzing from Avery's side of the phone was muted and he could only hear a slight hum. "As much as of a good lay that you are, you're also infuriatingly annoying! Now spill, before I kick your ass."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Dimitri purred, his mouth involuntarily rising into his cocky smirk.

"BELIKOV!" She yelled down the phone, causing Dimitri to rip it from his ear and chuckle.

"Okay, okay," He snickered, his tongue running over his bottom lip as he thought. "I'm finished."

"Good, now tell me what you found out." Avery insisted, and Dimitri could distinctly sense the tell-tale signs of impatience laced through her words.

"I was having a smoke our front when I overheard Rose and her Dad arguing," he admitted, no emotion passing through him as he remembered the moment perfectly. "I heard Rose crying and her Dad was insulting her, calling her an addict and saying that she had been in prison. From the looks of it, Rose has daddy issues, and he father isn't too keen on her either."

"Seriously?" Avery yelped, "You are bloody amazing, Belikov, absolutely fucking amazing! Did you find out what she was addicted to? Drugs? Maybe I could slip some into her bag at school or-"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dimitri muttered in forewarning. "I mean, as fragile as she is with her father, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't stand for you doing something to her; I think you've underestimated her, and you're messing with the wrong girl." Dimitri shrugged his shoulders even though no one could see him.

"You're joking, right?" Avery said, giving a light chuckle. "We've been tormenting the girl for the past five weeks and she hasn't lifted a finger towards us."

"Yeah, but that's when she was under daddy's control." Dimitri stated truthfully, "She lives with Tasha and Christian now."

"With those freaks?" Avery scoffed, and Dimitri could summon the image of a look of disgust on her stunning face.

"Watch it." Dimitri growled, "You might want to think again before you go and insult my friends; next time you do a cheap shot like that and you can find yourself a new man, because I won't be do this for you anymore."

"Fucks sake Belikov, they aren't your friends; they're people you get high with- simple as." Avery quipped, and Dimitri knew that at that moment she had flicked her hair. He pinched the bridge of his nose with the tip of his index finger and thumb, closing his eyes and exhaling loudly to calm his thoughts.

"_Anyway_," Dimitri stressed, "She lives with them now, so maybe she won't hold back anymore- who knows?"

"_I_ _know_. She's weak, I'll be fine." She said, sounding very sure of herself. "So let me get this straight- she has no money, no family, is an addict and criminal…and more likely than not; she's a slut."

"Basically, yeah." He confirmed, that same smirk on his face as he heard nothing but the constant noise of silence through the phone. Dimitri knew what that meant. "You have an idea, don't you?"

"How'd you know?" She purred and he could imagine her soft eyes narrowing and her smirk intensifying.

"I'm not stupid." He said simply, his eyes sparkling in mischief, "Plus, I know everything about you; I've seen it all."

"Yeah, that's right, and if you play your cards correctly, you'll see it all again," She meowed in a flirty tone, causing heat to travel up Dimitri's body.

"Like I need to play my cards correctly; wrong or right, you can't resist me Lazar." Dimitri flirted, tightening his muscled arm to tense.

"Hmm, that's true." She admitted, causing Dimitri to smile widely, the heat travelling around his crotch area. "For the sake of my libido, can we please change the subject?"

"For the sake of my libido, I say we continue to talk…or you could just come to my house." He offered for the second time, his trousers tightening at the thought of Avery on his bed, naked.

"I _can't_," She assured him, but he could hear the desperation in her voice; he knew she wanted him. For Avery, it was not all about the sex, it was about the chase, and Dimitri knew she got a thrill in chasing Andre Dragomir. She once got a raise out of trying to persuade Dimitri to become a relationship guy, but it failed, causing her to run after someone else. A guy who didn't want her, who so happened to be the blonde heart throb who lusted after Rose. "How about I fill you in with one of my magnificent ideas?"

"Might as well, seeing as how I have nothing better to do." Dimitri muttered in anger, feeling like Avery was being a huge cock blocker.

"I'm going to print it out on pages, and paste it all over the school and more than likely send it to all the teacher's and student's emails," She paused for a second, silence filling the space. "And I'm going to see if I can get some pot off Reid and plant it in her bag."

"All this, because Andre likes her?" I asked her, slightly losing some respect for her.

"No, not because of that!" She whimpered, "I mean that plays a part in it, but there's other things! She's a bitch for one thing, and she's a freak."

"Okay, whatever, I've done what you asked, so I'm finished." He stated, pulling the phone away from his ear before he heard the distant calls of Avery to wait. "What?" He snapped, putting it his ear.

"Please, don't leave it there! I want to know more!" She squeaked loudly, "I mean, aren't you even _slightly_ curious as to why she was arrested, or why her Dad hates her?"

"You may have nothing better to do with your time than fuck random guys and obsess over other girls lives, but I do, so goodbye Avery."

"NO! Wait, wait!" Avery called into the phone loudly, "Let me explain. I can tell you don't like this girl. You become ruder and meaner when you see her; but the question is why? I don't care about the answer; I just care about what it takes for you to agree. Find out all the details. You can use it against her, her family, whatever…"

_Her_ _family_…ran through Dimitri's mind. Avery was right, if he got all this information from Rose, he could get what he needed for his Dad, and they could plot their revenge. It was almost too sweet to pass.

"Okay, but on one term," Dimitri said slowly, stepping down the stairs to get back on his bike. "You don't reveal those secrets to anyone; if Rose finds out that these are being exposed to everyone, she'll know it was because I let her secrets leak, and she won't trust me ever again. Wait until I've got all I need before we make our move."

She was silent for a long time, whilst Dimitri searched his pockets for his keys; finally he found them and slipped them into the slot, just before Avery replied. "Hurry, Belikov, I won't wait forever."

"You'll wait forever if I tell you to," Dimitri demanded, pressing the phone tighter to his mouth, "I'm the one doing _you_ a favour; you have no part in how this plays out." And with that he hung up, throwing the phone into his pocket as he turned on his bike and in an explosion of power, zoomed from his gravel parking space and roared down the road to the nearest bar, where he could hopefully find a girl who could help him blow off the steam that Avery created with her fierce words.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed (:_

_Again, another big thanks to Valdeh- you amazing girl! (:_

_Oh! Also, thank you so so much for your reviews.. you guys are quite literally the milk to my cookies, the wind beneath my wings, the yin to my yang.. you get it. I LOVE all of you, seriously. Thank you anyone who has alerted, favourited or reviewed my story, and thank you so much for your support (:_

xoxox_  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The orginal content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

* * *

_Hey, back again xD Enjoy this chapter, and please don't forget to review- I mean's a lot guys :)_

_Again, a **BIG **thanks to my amazing Beta, **Valdeh**, who just completes me. She did a great job of editing this chapter, and all my thanks goes to her- you rock Valerie :P xoxo_

**Chapter Songs**

_** The Kill- 30 seconds to mars (Rose and Holly)  
_

_** Break Free- Queen (Rose)_

_**Give me Everything (tonight)- Pitbull feat. Neyo, Nayer & Afrojack (The Court)_

_** I hate everything about you- 3 Days Grace (Avery, Lissa, Tasha and Rose)_

* * *

_**Chapter six- **Celebrations and Chaos_

**"Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting."~**** Napoleon Hill**_  
_

_**Rose…**_

My eyes slowly began to crack open when I heard the annoying noise of the ever rowdy, shredding blender. The blinds of the living room windows were wide-open, causing, sharp, piercing beams of light to slice across my scrunched up face. My eyes narrowed and began to adjust slowly to the painful blazing beacon of light. I sat up, stretching my fixed spine as it snapped from its curved position. Somewhere throughout the night, Christian or Tasha had placed an ugly, multi-coloured afghan around my stiff legs, said afghan spilled to the floor when I raised my crooked arms above my head, stretching my tense and taut body. . I turned my back to see who was making such wretched noises so early in the morning.

My aching eyes, still adjusting to the glittering light, focused on the kitchen, which was quite literally in the same area as the living room. Christian leaned against the black marble counters, a hand blender tightly held in his grasp and a delighted, evil smirk nestled on his thin lips. He was fully dressed and continued to smirk at me, his eyes amused yet somehow twisted.

"God," I moaned, falling back into the couch, picking up the horrible afghan and throwing it over my tired face. "Do you enjoy severely torturing people, or is there an actual _reason_ that you're up this early?"

"I'm making a smoothie." He said, a mocking tint of innocence laced his otherwise wicked words. He turned up the blender to full power, creating more noise.

"Couldn't you have waited until I had woken up?" I protested, rubbing my sore eyes under the stupid blanket afghan thing. "Or at least walk to a juice bar, instead of acting like a dickhead!"

"Tasha's at the juice bar already; I don't see the point of me going too." My friend replied, and although I couldn't see his stupid face, I could already imagine the cocky, hilarious grin on his lips as he gained pleasure from my pain.

"Then why didn't you ask her to get you a smoothie? Do you really enjoy hurting me that much?" I asked sitting up straight, throwing the stupid afghan on the coffee table, sitting beside the pile of fashion and gossip magazines, there was a steamy mug of coffee. "Why is there a cup of this shit in front of me?"

"So many questions, so little time," Christian melodramatically said, turning off his blender to pour his stupid smoothie. "...the answers are; because I didn't want to, yes and I was being nice- in that order."

"Nice? You woke me up hours before I cared to be woken and then you place this crap in front of me?" I contorted, my nose scrunching to the revolting smell. I had always hated coffee, purely because it is how my father's house smelt every morning. Even as a child, visiting Abe was torture and remembering that smell sent waves of disgust throughout my gut. I pushed the cup away; the noise of ceramics scraping across wood was loud and unwanted. Christian just shrugged and continued to sip at his smoothie, a few slices of toast sat next to him.

I gave a huge lion yawn, providing the world with an attractive view of my tonsils. I could have sworn that I felt my arms snap from their sockets due to the large stretch I accomplished. I turned and looked at Christian's face hearing his snicker, and it was clear from his narrowed eyes and tight smirk that he was seriously enjoying the annoyance I was feeling towards him and my sore arms.

"Tasha left some clothes for you in her bedroom." He said; sucking his drink, the wet slurping noise of the drink making its way up the straw was disgusting and obscene. He grinned freely when I sighed and rolled my eyes before strolling towards Tasha's dark, black room- and I wasn't referring to the lighting. Her whole room was painted black, completed with black furniture and decorations around the room. I could barely see where I was going, so I had to turn on the light, which quite truthfully made no difference- I wondered how Tasha slept in this room without becoming drab and depressed.

Hanging on a long curtain pole, was an outfit that Tasha had picked for me. I didn't know what I had expected, maybe- black skinny jeans, black vest top, leather jacket and boots, but no. Hanging before me was a tight belly top, with a huge fashionable rip at the side until it reached the bellybutton, the rip was tied into a cute little knot though and instead of it looking like I had just survived a scrap, it looked cool and fashionable. It wasn't black though, the top was grey, but it had a splash of black writing that I couldn't decipher along with a picture of a cracked skull. Beside the top was a pair of what looked like daisy dukes. I lifted them to see that they were longer than daisy dukes were, but still incredibly short and I would be showing a lot of leg. A pair of battered black converse sat on the floor, along with a new pair of thong panties (black of course) and a bra. I upturned my nose, not wanting to put on my friends underwear, but a small note caught my eye, which was pinned to the cute set.

_To Cupcake…_

_They're new. _

_God, I can imagine the expression on your face! So just put them on and stop acting like a snob._

_By the way, I won't be back until later; going clothes shopping. I'll get something for you whilst I'm out (:_

_PS- Do whatever the hell you want- kicking Christian's ass is in that broad territory of 'do whatever'. _

_Don't miss me too much._

_-The sex goddess, known by you lowly commoners as Tasha. _

_Xoxo_

I smirked as I read the sprawls covering the page. Her handwriting looked as though a spider had put black ink on its legs and started skittering around the blank page, but I was glad she had left it all the same. I set it down on her large bed and grabbed her white dressing gown as opposed to her black one. I knew she didn't use the white one, purely based on its colour. I walked out of room and towards the bathroom to get a quick shower.

I rushed, washing my hair and body as there was no lock on the door, and because I didn't fancy Christian witnessing my lady parts. Lathering my hair with shampoo and washing my body with soap and body gel took all within five minutes, and then I darted out, covering my self with a towel, steam, and watery footprints following behind me. Christian was watching TV and his eyes snapped to me as soon as I had stepped out. He may have obviously had a bewildering crush on Lissa, but he was still a man and he couldn't seem to take his eyes off my wet, towel clad body. He unmistakably swallowed and then he averted his gaze though I knew it was a lot harder for him than he was letting on.

I shrugged even though his attention was set firm on the TV. I chuckled and walked to Tasha's bedroom to get ready; knowing quite rightly that his eyes had snapped to me once my back was turned. I closed the door behind me, and sauntered over to where my clothes lay. I put on the underwear and stole some of Tasha's spray deodorant before putting on my clothes and shoes. I looked in the long body sized mirror framing Tasha's door to assess my attire. The straps of the top were a little baggy but other than that, I looked great. I tried to ignore the amount of flesh I was showing and picked up the hair dryer, plugging it into the wall before letting it bring warm air to my wet hair. Once I was satisfied and added a little of Tasha's makeup to my pale face, I walked out of her room to see that Christian was still sitting on the sofa, remote in hand and a bowl of popcorn resting on his knee. His eyes snapped to me and his jaw hit the ground.

"What?" I asked in a panic, my hands roaming my body in frenzy at the chance that I had forgot to wear something- even though I had been looking in the mirror two minutes before.

"I don't know…"He muttered, slowly putting his popcorn bowl on the coffee table before leaning back and assessing me with chatoyant eyes. "It's just I've only ever seen you in high heels and…preppy clothes. But nothing like this."

"Yeah, well get used to it because the real Rose is back." I said, before walking towards the door. His smirk showed that he was happy for me, even though he wouldn't show it. It was like that for Christian and me, we banter and insult each other and kind of like siblings did, made each other's lives difficult, but we secretly cared a lot about each other. It only occurred to me at that moment that I looked at him like a brother rather than a friend, which in my eyes was a ten times stronger relationship.

"I'm going to go back to my Dad's house to get a few things and talk to Eddie." By that I meant get some money and never go back.

"Okay, you want a lift down?" He asked nicely, a soft smile on his handsome face.

"No I think I'll get a bus, wouldn't want to distract you from Gossip Girl, now would I?"

"Oh, I hope that the bus hits you, seriously." And with that, he lifted his popcorn, his stoic eyes resting on the buzzing images of the large TV screen.

I walked out, closing the door behind me with a huge smirk on my face. The sole of my converse continually smacked the ground as I strolled; feeling the cooling breeze of the air conditioner hit my tanned, bare legs. I looked back at Tasha's sticker clad door and smiled. I knew that Tasha and Christian didn't talk to their parents, but there was this recurring thought flowing through my mind- where did they get the money to buy their own home? I'm sure apartments didn't cost that much, but the apartment looked like it had been lived in for a while and I was positive that two kids couldn't buy their own apartment. I continued to think about it until I hit the bottom floor, deciding I would ask them later.

It was quite a distance to Abe's house from where I was, so I decided to wait on a bus. The bus stop was a block away so I began walking, enjoying the bright sun smacking my face, I could literally feel the vitamin D soaking through my pores. I could hear cars honk as they passed me, obviously perverts in the front seat enjoying the skin I was showing, but I ignored them; I knew better than to feel special because some flaky nutcase honked his horn at me. I passed many different corner shops and kids playing games, running around chasing each other. It seemed like so long ago since the times where I was worry-free, having fun like the little children playing. I felt extremely nostalgic as I thought about my mother and my childhood in New York. By no means was my childhood amazing or wonderfully packed with adventurous journeys and experiences, it was filled with keeping fit, verbal abuse towards my father and a lot of drama, but it was my childhood when all the drama and semantics didn't matter, when nothing mattered- not even Abe. At first, when I would hear my mother call Abe a controlling bastard or an evil man, I would have this suspicion that she was indoctrinating me purely on the fact that she didn't want me to leave. After she got married and I was seven, however, I was forced to spend summers at the Mazur Manor, and I truly understood what she meant then- even at the age of seven, I could tell my father was an evil, man with a psychotic mind and a wild impulse to seriously hurt people.

Finally, the tall bus stop came into view, people of many ages were standing around the rusting pole. Again, I couldn't help compare how these everyday, ordinary men and women looked in their nice, simple clothes in contrast to the rich fashionable, _pointless_ designer clothes of the elites. The people that now surrounded me were real people; they weren't deluded gossips, living in a hallucination that if you had money you were immediately classified as someone better, someone who had to be treated more importantly because of the money they possessed. It was all a sham- a figment of imagination in the mind of a prestigious old bat with more Botox than brain cells. I had no respect for anything of them.

From the corner of my eye I saw the bus stop before us, the creaky doors opening with a loud rusty noise, the sound of escaping gas swelling through the air as it stopped. I let an elderly woman go before me, and then I walked on the packed bus spotting a seat at the back. I squeezed through the thin aisle, trying my hardest not to hit someone in the face with my moving arms. I disregarded the flirty looks that some guys were throwing my way- I deserved better.

When I reached the back, I sat down on the seat and watched as the bus started, its speed gradually increasing as we breezed through the city. We stopped at a very popular area where many clothing shops could be found- many people had jumped off at this stop, so the long vehicle was almost empty by the time it had arrived at Mazur Manor. I saw admirers glance at the mansion in want, but I overlooked it, standing up to get outside. After the bus had departed, I walked towards the huge black iron gates remembering the many times I had snuck out of them. I realized something as I stood there, the feeling I usually had before arriving at Mazur Manor was gone, that feeling of nausea, fear, anxiety and pain had completely vanished and I knew why- Abe held nothing over my shoulders, he couldn't threaten me and I was a free woman. This house, this society, and Abe had no power over me- I was free.

I pressed the buzzer of the gates, waiting patiently with a smile on my face as the camera assessed me.

"Miss Mazur?" The gate man's voice said, crackly as the static exploded from the little voice box under the camera. He sounded slightly puzzled.

I walked towards the mouth piece, continuing to smile. "It's Rose Hathaway. May I get in?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The large iron gates didn't creak at all as they opened revealing my old home. I sauntered up the long driveway, looking at the garden and before I knew it, I was outside the huge wooden doors of the mansion. I walked up the stone steps, my hands touching the doorknob, twisting it in ecstasy as I realized this was probably the last time I had to do it. . Stepping inside I heard the chatter of women, a few giggles and most importantly no Abe.

I ambled towards the living room door where the chatting was coming from. I walked past the family study to see that Abe wasn't there, the muscles on my face contracting into a huge, happy smile. As soon as I hit the living room door, the women stopped talking and all of their heads turned to face me. There were three women, Holly, Rhea Dragomir-Lissa's mother and Lily Ashford- Mason's mother. I was shortly caught off guard as I assessed the crew. I was especially surprised to see Lily there considering that, she had about as much money as I me, which was none.

"Rose, darling!" Holly said, setting down her china teacup before parading towards me, a sweet smile back on her face. "Good, you're back from your little friend's house."

"Ah, yeah." I said, rubbing the back of my neck. I actually liked Holly, so it sucked that I had to do this. "Where's Abe?"

"_Your Father_," She emphasized with beady eyes, assessing my clothes with a look of distaste, "Is at a business meeting…any reason that you are asking?"

"Yeah, I was actually going to tell him that I was moving out." I said, catching her completely off guard. Her eyes could have fallen out of her eye sockets considering how wide they were. She swallowed and turned around to her friends.

"Excuse me ladies." She said before resting a soft hand on my elbow. I caught a quick glance at her chums, assessing their contrasting clothes and expressions. Rhea was beautiful and blonde, made up with the most expensive cosmetics and designer clothes and then there was Lily, the stunning red head that didn't wear any make up at all and had on a simple skirt and vest top, a cute smile on her lips as she drank some ice tea. I smiled back and then followed my stepmother.

We paraded up the grand marble stairs framed on either side with black banisters made of intricate designs, bringing my mind to the night before along with images of a gorgeous man with beautiful eyes, broad shoulders and a killer tattoo. I hadn't thought much of him with the amount of things that were going on, but he occasionally interrupted my thoughts and then I would have to bite my lip at the memory of him between my legs as we drove wildly throughout the city. Suddenly my bubble burst when Holly shut the door behind us and I realized that we were in my bedroom.

"Please don't mention that in front of my peers Rose, it isn't gracious." She said; standing up straight, her posture weirdly resembling a ruler's. "Now, why on heavens earth are you even _considering_ moving out?"

"Well we aren't all persistent like you," I said, feeling a little snappy that she was worried about what her friends thought. "You may be able to abide with each and every one of his rules, and live around his every whim and woe, but I won't do it. I'm sick of it- I'm not going to adhere to his every command and neither should you."

"Rose, your father does not command me," Holly stated, sitting down on an armchair, her back remaining straight. "We are equals, your father, and I- we love each other."

"_Love_?" I scoffed at the thought, "The only thing Abe is capable of loving is himself. You think he _loves_ you? No, he manipulates and controls you. You're his puppet, used for image purposes only."

"How dare you!" Holly retorted, her perfect porcelain face contorting in anger, her blue eyes blazing. "I don't care for your tone or what you are implying for that matter. I am asking pleasantly that you keep your biased opinions to yourself, and keep that sharp tongue in your gutter mouth."

"Please tell me you're joking, Holly, because I find this all very amusing." I said, keeping my back firm, as she stood tall before me. "You've seen the way he's been treating me the past five weeks! You've seen it, and don't you think for one second that I missed those crestfallen glances you threw at my father when his attention was elsewhere. You disliked the bullying just as much as I did, yet you continue to stay firm on his side, and you know why that is? He has you wrapped tightly around his manipulative finger, doesn't he?"

"You don't think you deserved every inch of the treatment he gave you, Rose?" Holly asked her voice austere and dead. I noticed how her eyes kept snapping to my attire, a look of deep disappointment in her eyes. "Yes, I certainly didn't enjoy seeing you endure that, but that doesn't mean that you didn't deserve it. You did deserve it."

"I deserve to be imprisoned, I _know_ that!" I yelled, my rage beginning to build. I wished I were saying all this to my father, the actions I was wasting on his brain dead wife would have much more effective on that old bastard. "But there is no way in hell I deserved that. He practically took half my rights away from me! You didn't think I knew he checked my bags, drawers, and closets. That he didn't check on me every single god damned night to make sure I was still there?"

"He was looking out for you Rose." Holly said calmly, her voice patronizing. Here I was, all along thinking that Abe was the patronizing cunt of this family, but his false wife was just as bad. "There is nothing wrong with a father looking out for his children."

"Don't sugar-coat what he fucking did to me Holly!" I screeched loudly, each wave of sound travelling up to pierce my brain. "He tried to dehumanize me, and I'm not going to stay around to let it happen."

"Please, your melodrama is hardly becoming Rose." Holly said, walking towards the door. "We'll talk about this after you've toned down your anger and start acting and thinking like a rational person- until then, you can stay in here."

"No, I won't, fucking stay in here." I warned following her towards the door, seeing a key that she took out of her pocket. "You lock me in here, and I swear on my life Holly, that I will smash these windows in and inform your _peers_ how you're committing false imprisonment, you have _no_ _right_ to tell me what to do- you're not my mother."

Holly walked towards me again and her eyes screamed murder. "Do not threaten me, girl." She warned her stance steady and sure. "If I so wish to lock you inside, I will do so and you can do nothing about it."

"Really?" I taunted, taking a step closer to her, so close in fact that I could smell her peppermint breath. "Please do it, because I would love an excuse to damage your stupid fucking reputation."

"You know what?" Holly said, storming towards the windows, her heels clicking off the wooden floor. "I am _sick_ _and_ _tired_ of you and your theatrical behaviour. You want to leave? _Fine_. Leave and if I see your face in this house again, I'll ring the police and press charges for trespassing."

"I think you've made me the happiest girl alive, Holly Mazur, I really do." I said, walking towards the closet. Holly followed me, yelling incoherent words. I ignored her and continued to pack my bag, filling it with shoes and makeup, a few hair products and tops. With that, I stormed down the stairs, Holly close on my tail. Once I heard her heels click a last time as she stood in front of the living room door, I turned around to see her piercing eyes glaring at me.

"Don't stay out too late, sweetheart, you're father wants to see you before you go to your piano lessons." She said, keeping up the fake charade of the perfect family for her feeble- minded friends.

"Yeah, whatever Holly." I muttered before storming out of the door, making sure the wood made a loud bang as it collided with the doorframe, closing it tightly. I smirked as I heard the glass inside shake. I sauntered down feeling very proud, my big white bag over my shoulder. I was able to fill it to the brim, full with things that I liked- most things I had bought myself over the few weeks. Abe never gave me money, but that didn't stop me from nabbing the change he left lying around- it built up quick.

The gate man suddenly recognized me and let me out with a little wave in which I returned. I walked to the bus stop and within minutes, I was on the bus, going back to my new home.

_**oX.o.x.**_

_**Rose…**_

When I arrived home, no one was there so I kicked off my converse and ran into Tasha's room to find some decent music for my little celebration. I picked the first CD that my hand had touched; pulling it out to see that it was Queen, one of the most legendary bands ever. I smiled and placed it in the huge stereo blasting the music. The first song that exploded from it was the ever famous and brilliant 'We are the champions'. I ran to the kitchen looking for anything that could magically become a microphone with the power of imagination. I looked in the fridge and grabbed a carrot, completely diving onto the coffee table as I erupted with a full belting session, my lungs exploding with the sound of my voice.

I continued to dance and when the next song came on, I almost had a nervy spasm attack. I started jumping around the couches and around the coffee table to 'I want to break free', my arms flailing and flying in every direction as I kicked my legs and moved my hips to the rhythm. The song was so perfect that I almost cried.

"_I want to break free…"_ I began to mimic the amazing voice of Freddie Mercury.

"_I want to break free_

_I want to break from your lies_

_You're so self-satisfied,_

_I don't need you_

_I got to break free"_

I continued to belt, feeling freer than I have ever had in my whole life. I continued to bounce on the couch rejoicing as I imagined Abe's angry face as Holly told him that I was gone, how his blood would boil, and how I didn't have to endure that anymore. I was a free woman.

"_GOD KNOWS,_

_God knows, I want to break free_

_I've fallen in love,_

_I've fallen in love for the first time_

_And this time I know it's for real,_

_I've fallen in love..."_

This didn't seem relevant in the slightest, as there was no way I could love my father; nothing could pull me from this amazing buzz.

"_Gods knows,_

_God knows, I've fallen in love_

_It's strange but it's true_

_And I can't get over the way you love me like you do_

_But I have to be sure when I walk out that door_

_Oh how I want to be free, baby_

_Oh how I want to free _

_OH HOW I WANT TO BREAK FREE!"_

Just as I quite literally screeched everywhere, the words of the amazing song reaching the roof of my lungs, the air exploding from my chest, I could hear a mind blowing, rib-busting explosion of laughter. I snapped out of my moment and bounced off my stage, commonly known as a coffee table to those with no imagination. I dropped the carrot which I had previously stuck to my lips and ran to turn off the music to see that Tasha was holding on to four bags and she was leaning against the wall as she clutched onto her sides, her eyes watering as she laughed over and over again.

"Oh my god!" She incoherently screeched, her words hard to decipher through the booming laughter. "Oh my God, that was fucking amazing!"

I rubbed my arm in embarrassment and tried to distract her, but I couldn't and I settled for shooting glances around the room. That was when my eyes fell upon Sonya Belikov, who was standing behind Tasha, a smile on her face and bags in her hands. I didn't care that I was in an amazing mood, there was no way seeing that bitches face could keep my happy mood intact, no fucking way.

"What's she doing here?" I snapped, looking at her in disgust. Sonya didn't seem that showy and dressy compared to the rest of the Tart Trio, but she was certainly on my list of bitches I had to kill one day.

Tasha's laughter suddenly stopped and she looked at Sonya and then me. I could almost see her calculating eyes snap towards me and the other girl.

"I-uh, saw her walking up and decided to help her." Sonya said, averting her gaze to look around the apartment. When I had first saw the apartment, I was shocked and couldn't get over the fact that someone who loved black so much had an apartment that was an explosion of bright colours and quite literally had colours oozing from the walls and ceilings, but her eyes remained calm and knowing.

"What were you doing in the neighbourhood?" I asked, looking her up and down as she assessed me, obviously surprised at my new clothes.

"I was looking for my brother actually," She snapped, giving me a taste of the Sonya I both knew and hated. "My mom has money for him and my Dad but they aren't in the house."

"Maybe they're at the hospital, checking up on your Dad." Tasha offered, her eyes narrowing at Sonya.

"Okay, so you're looking for Dimitri." I said, shrugging in nonchalance. "But why the hell did you help her? Isn't that against your morals or something?"

"Oh, bitch, don't mess with me okay?" Sonya warned, her brown eyes narrowing. "I just witnessed you singing Queen with a carrot. You have no idea how fast that'll travel around the school."

"Go on ahead, _bitch_" I retorted, folding my arms under my bosom. "Tell the school, I don't care. See, the difference between you and me is that I don't give a fuck about what anyone thinks of me, and you live on your appearance. You live to please."

"Okay, girlies, shut up." Tasha said, walking towards the kitchen table where she set her bags. She set them down and turned to face us. "With all due respect, Sonya, get the fuck out of my house. I appreciate your help, but it's time for you to leave now."

"You know what Tasha?" Sonya said; flinging the bag on to the floor, watching the contents spread through out it. "Go fuck yourself."

"If I could, I would, trust me." She said with a smirk on her lips. Sonya looked very nervous as she looked at Tasha's smirk, her eyes snapped to me and then her angry face was back on. She didn't say another word, but she spun around and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Temperamental girls are so hot." Tasha said, glancing at the door. "It shows more potential in bed."

"That's lovely, Tasha, please do go on." I sarcastically said, kneeling down to pick up the clothes that had fallen across the ground. I threw them back into the bag and set it next to the others.

"I'm not really one to fuck and tell, Cupcake." Tasha said, scooting herself to sit on the counter beside the sink. She opened the cardboard and lifted out a chocolate bar, opening up the package to nibble at the brown block.

"Thank heavens for that." I said with a smile, waiting impatiently for her to ask me what I had done today.

"Where's Christian?" Tasha said, engulfing the huge bar, surprised that it could almost fit inside her whole mouth.

"I don't know," I said, folding my arms again. "He wasn't here when I got back."

"When you got back…where were you?" Tasha asked; licking her lips as the chocolate covered her mouth like a brown lipstick. It was disgusting to look at.

"Abe's house," I chuckled softly when Tasha raised her eyebrow in confusion,. "to officially tell Holly that I was moving out and not coming back."

Tasha didn't say anything for a moment so I was completely caught off guard when she dived off the counter and landed straight on top of me. A squeal erupted from her mouth as she sat on me; pining my petite body to the floor.

"You know this means right?" Tasha screeched excitedly, clapping her chocolate clad hands. "We get to celebrate! You are so lucky I went shopping today- I got the greatest dress ever for you!"

I laughed happily, feeling so amazing. She grabbed my arm and brought me into her room where we both got ready; doing each other's hair and makeup. I was going to have fun for the first time in months, and like those children I had witnessed playing earlier- I was going to be worry-free.

_**oX.o.x.**_

_**Dimitri…**_

Dimitri walked towards the huge stereo, bunching his huge fist before thudding the lid and watching it bounce open to expose a white disk. He lifted out the old CD and placed a new one inside, turning the music up extremely loud. He turned around to see Christian, pot in hand, grimacing in pain.

"Fuck me, man," He began, his eye narrowed and bloodshot, his frown deep and crooked. "You do realize that even fucking deaf people can hear that, right?"

"Well, soon they'll all be lining up to thank me then, won't they?" Dimitri retorted, picking up his own cigarette, taking a huge draw enjoying the feel of nicotine spread through his body. "Instantly, news of my aptitude for healing will escalate to the four corners of the earth and I'll have a frenzy of blind people barricading my door; begging me to rejuvenate their vision to witness this awesomeness." He ran hand along his tall body, a smirk tugging on his perfect lips.

"Is it really necessary for you to be to douche-bag of massive proportions at all times?" Christian asked, lifting his last beer to take a huge swallow, his Adams apple bobbing as he consumed the last can of alcohol.

"Your envy is as obvious as it is tragic." Dimitri replied, watching Christian's eyes narrow even further, a frown twisting his pink lips. "It's not your fault that you can't compete with these devastatingly good looks and masterful skills. All you can do is witness this perfection."

"Please, can we change the subject before I chop my own fucking head off?" Christian said with an irritated chuckle.

"I wouldn't advise suicide, it's dramatic and a permanent solution to a temporary problem. You'll eventually get over your jealousy," Dimitri kidded, eyeing Christian's empty beer can. They had drunk them all and it wasn't like there were any shops near. They sat in the small cabin in the woods of St. Vladimir's, completely escaping the suffocating air of society. "Plus, don't you find it exhilarating being the side kick of a stud like me?"

"Okay, so it is necessary for you to be a massive douche bag. Okay, got that." Christian replied;, taking a last draw of his pot filled cigarette . He stubbed it out and then let out a huge gust of smoke, the fumes tickling Dimitri's nose.

"Well, be thankful, because that's the only thing you're getting from me today," Dimitri teased, a smile on his face as he watched his friend squirm in annoyance. He could literally see the build up of steam fogging his vision, "a realization of the obvious."

"You're such an ass." Christian growled, looking annoyed, but Dimitri could tell he was enjoying the banter.

"Okay, okay, I'm finished." Dimitri chuckled lifting his hands as if to protect himself from the skinny man in front of him. "We can continue our brooding pity party- what shall the topic be today? How about the subject of: Your proclaimed love towards, our very own, Lissa Dragomir?"

"I'd rather not talk about that," Christian jittered, a small smirk rising into a full- blown grin. To be truthfully honest, Dimitri didn't particularity want to hear the details. "Let's talk about the fact that you were at my apartment last night. Why the hell did you drop off Rose at that hour, and even better _why_ did you drop her off?"

"Does it matter?" Dimitri asked, leaning back on his chair, kicking his feet unto the small cart they had used as a table to keep their beer and ashtrays. "She needed a ride, and I gave her one; nothing special."

"Well, what do you think of her?" Christian said; his eyes narrowing as he looked for any tell tale signs of a threat towards his little Rose.

"Thinking is overrated." Dimitri replied, stretching. He didn't think anything specific towards the girl except for the fact that she was feisty and that alone made her hot as hell.

"Dimitri." Christian snapped, his voice dropping in volume, a sign of how serious he was. "I'm serious; you better have kept your hands to yourself."

"You really think that low of me, huh?" Christian did nothing but give Dimitri a look that indicated yes, he did think that low of him. "Ouch, man."

"I'm not kidding here Dimitri; Rose is a big part of my life- she's extremely special to me." Christian warned, his eyes sharp and piercing, the icy blue pin pointing Dimitri, pinning him to his chair.

"I think it's _you_ who needs to keep your hands to yourself, Chris." He replied, his eyes stoic and unbothered. Dimitri didn't take offense to what Christian said- it was true. If it wasn't for Rose's heritage he would have conquered her already.

"Stop brushing this off like you do with every serious thing, you dick." Christian warned his eyes shocking like the blue fire of a Bunsen burner. "This is serious shit- she's an amazing person and I don't give a fuck how rough you are; you so much as hurt her or even _try_ to taint her with your bullshit, I won't hesitate to kick your Russian ass, and I'm sure Tasha is in with me on that one."

"It's immoderately moronic that you and your maniacal sister think I'm on the move to snatch your new pet," Dimitri growled, not liked being threatened whether it was his friend or not. "My standards are high and I know what I want- which isn't her. She isn't my type."

"Every girl is your type, Dimitri. You're a man whore." His friend said simply, those eyes zapping him. Christian had pegged him correctly; it was no secret that Dimitri enjoyed the company of females, but what he along with everyone else didn't know was only a few of those girl actually made it back to his bedroom. Dimitri liked to think that he was extremely careful when it came to using his – man parts – and that he didn't just let anyone get some. Yeah, sure, he was loose at the hand and lips, but at the end of the day, he wasn't half the man whore that the whole LA thought, but he would never let that little fact spread. He was actually working the whole lady-killer, playboy thing going on, and it kept away the relationship fanatics; which is exactly what he needed. A crazy romantic woman was the last thing he needed.

"That statement isn't totally legitimate, my friend," Dimitri said, stretching his long legs as he listened to the loud music. "You're certainly not my type."

"You ass." Christian said with a crooked smirk and Dimitri knew that he had cheered his friend up. Just as Dimitri was about to talk about some shit or the other, a vibration trembled in his pocket repeatedly indicating that someone was calling him. His long arm reached over to turn off the battery stereo, he looked at the caller ID, a huge smile spread across his face as he pressed accept on his phone and placed it against his ear.

"How's it hanging, dick face?"

"Oh fuck, look who's talking." His friend Blake said from behind the phone, the sound of moving vehicles and horns honking in the background, "The biggest dick around."

"I don't really feel comfortable with you describing my manly anatomy, no matter how generously correct you are." Dimitri stated hearing his friend's chuckle. "Where are you?"

"Outside The Court- dude, get down here, seriously." The Court was a new club that had completely taken the young adults of LA by force; it was swanky and had great style. The waitresses were hot and best of all they didn't ask for your ID which was a blessing for Dimitri being eighteen and all.

Dimitri had already grabbed his leather jacket and motioned for Christian to move. "What's going on?"

"What's going on? Of all the questions, you ask that!" Blake chuckled into the phone, the noise of thumping and continuous squeals on the other side. "Dude, _everything_ is going on. The place is the fucking shit! Get down here now."

"On my way, asswipe." stated Dimitri, placing his phone back into his pocket as Blake hung up, leaving Dimitri with a buzzing line. Christian and Dimitri took a quick glance at each other before walking towards the small cabin door where Christian's car and Dimitri's bike were parked. They hopped into their own vehicles.

"You going to follow me?" Dimitri called, throwing the helmet over his head. He scarcely caught Christian's nod and then he grabbed the clutch, starting the bike immediately as he released, lifting his feet slowly for balance. As soon as they hit the school grounds, Dimitri increased his speed, not able to hear the sound of Christians car due to the loud roar of his bike. He swerved through some cars, Christian not that far behind him, seeing his reflection through his side mirror. There was a lot of traffic leading into the town where The Court was situated and Dimitri noticed a lot of gorgeous girls, creating a smirk to rise on his lips.

He finally arrived at the club within minutes, the large black cushioned doors clad with two large bouncers. 'THE COURT' shone brightly in luminescent cursive writing, a huge line waited outside. Dimitri took off his helmet and locked it to the bike watching all the unbelievable almost naked girls waiting in line, and he couldn't wait to get inside. Christian joined him within seconds.

"You drive like a crazy person." Christian stated, looking stressed as he watched the busy club, where you could see flash of strobe lights with every opening of the door.

"That's because I am a crazy person, Chris." Dimitri said, catching the eye of some women walking in and Dimitri looked for the quickest way into the club without waiting. Finally, his eyes fell upon a girl in line wearing a short purple dress, killer heels with grey eyes and messy black hair.

Dimitri picked up his pace as he strolled over to the girl, a smirk on his handsome face. He distinctly remembered Christian behind him, but continued to demand attention from all the sexy girls, practically dissolving in their heated admiring gazes. "Well, if it isn't Avery Lazar." Dimitri said, leaning against the velvet rope. She looked up from her nails and smirked at him, her eyes sharp and knowing. They had had an argument the night before, but all was solved and good again- at least Dimitri thought so.

"Is there a specific reason you decided to grace me with your overwhelming presence?" Avery asked, her eyes momentarily skewering Christian, the outcast, before setting them on the muscled body of Dimitri.

"Only to mention that you look stunningly mouth watering tonight…" Avery looked pleased, her eyes chatoyant and glittery as she smirked at the Russian. "And to bunk up from the back of line; no one as attractive as me should have to wait."

"Is it time already for another one of your douche bag episodes?" Christian asked folding his arms as Avery held up the velvet rope, giving them entry to join her. "I thought I would have had more time to rest after its last appearance."

"Hey, I disagree with him, Belikov," Avery purred, manicured hands softly touching Dimitri's arm, covered by his sexy leather jacket. "I can't help but find your attitude incredibly hot."

Dimitri replied her with a smirk before the bouncer spoke. "Next." His voice commanded, gaining the attention of everyone. He did nothing but look at them and once he was satisfied that they weren't under the age of seventeen he allowed them entry, moving his thick body to open the black cushioned door.

There were sudden images of flashing lights, sweaty bodies grinding against each other, hands roaming in places that didn't deem appropriate in a public place and people from the same sex and different sex making out on the dance floor, on the tables and in secluded corners, the corners in which the lights didn't hit, creating a dark space. Dimitri smiled as he saw his best friend knocking back his usual drink of whiskey at the bar, flirting as usual with anything with legs strolling passed him.

Dimitri walked to his friend, Christian ambling next to him. "It's good to know that you don't waste time when it comes to knocking back that poison." Dimitri said, pointing at the glass of Jack Daniels before his friend.

"Well, I was becoming impatient and sober and I don't do impatient and sober." Blake said, running a hand through his black curly hair. "Speaking of being sober, I didn't see you here yesterday; please don't go ruining my night by saying you've become a martyr, sacrificing your twisted ways to save your even more twisted soul."

"No, that's not my style," Dimitri admitted with a shrug of the shoulders as he ordered his own drink of vodka. "I've accepted that I'm a self-serving bastard with no redeeming qualities- it's what's makes me irresistible to women- they dig the whole bad boy thing I got going on."

"Considering how long it's been since I've had any," Blake began, "I'm actually agreeing with that statement. I'm finding you rather attractive tonight Belikov, maybe you and I should take this party up a notch?"

"Seriously, go find yourself a girl before I give you a mop to have your way with." Dimitri muttered, lifting his friend up by the arm and throwing him into the crowed filled with dirty dancers. Christian took the stool that Blake had just walked away from, and he ordered himself a beer, knocking it back immediately as if something worrying was on his mind.

"What's up, dude?" Dimitri asked; taking a sip of his vodka, sickly enjoying the pain of the burning sensation sliding down his raw throat.

Christian turned his head quickly and snapped it around again, almost decapitating himself with the force. Dimitri turned his head to see many girls, incredibly hot and wearing hardly anything and through all the hot girls, he saw the angelic blonde head of the beautiful, graceful Lissa Dragomir dressed in a stylish white dress, her long pale stalks looking sexy and amazing peaking from her beautiful dress. Next to the innocent beauty was the devilish brunette wearing the purple dress, her grey eyes fell upon Dimitri, making him smirk in pleasure. He turned back around to face Christian.

"You should go for her, Chris." Dimitri said, ignoring the fact the Dragomir bitch essentially had him on a leash; the boy was whipped. "I would accompany you, but Avery seems to be attached to your lover's waist and my taste buds tingle for a new flavour tonight."

"Whatever, man, wish me luck." He said, looking at Dimitri expectantly.

"I'm not going to wish you luck, because you'll know that I wished it and it won't come true," Dimitri tilted the drink to his lips; the burning drinking filled his mouth. "So in tricking fate, without any luck being bestowed upon you, you get the girl.

"What is with you and semantics, you could have just wished me good luck." Christian said before walking away to talk to the girl he had been obsessing over for the past year. Dimitri knew that whether or not he had wished was irrelevant; it all depended on whether Christian acted like a functional person instead of an incoherent moron. Dimitri hoped for his sanity's sake that Christian got the girl; Dimitri didn't want to spend the next year in that cabin taking part in his friends depressing pity parties. It was annoying and unnecessary.

"Hey, baby, this is my friend I was telling you about," Dimitri heard the voice of his friend Blake. He slowly turned around and glared at his buddy, ready to meet this girl he had somehow caught within minutes.

"You don't move away from me within the time frame of five seconds, and I'll kick your bony ass." Dimitri warned, looking at his friend who had his arm wrapped around someone small. His eyes snapped down to the girl to warn her about his friend's pervy, alcoholic ways when he saw who the dark haired beauty was. Rose Hathaway.

"Charming as ever I see, Pretty Boy." Rose remarked, her gorgeous eyes blazing in amusement and her mouth upturned in the sexiest smirk he had ever seen. He took a moment to appreciate the incredible package before him. She was wearing a red dress that might have well been a second skin considering how it stuck to every curve on her voluptuous and salacious body. Her legs were covered by fishnet tights with little designs on them, and on her feet were, a fuckable pair of amazing, leather ankle boots, somehow making her legs look longer and more sensual. Her smirk deepened as she watched him admire her stimulating body.

"Did you ever expect anything less, Roza?" Dimitri purred not able to control his manly instincts to her clearly hot, busty body. He didn't care about seeming animalistic only after one thing, but he didn't feel right glancing at Rose's generous chest…He did it anyway, and boy was it worth the guilt.

"To be honest, no, I didn't," She admitted a smile on her face as she wrapped her arm around Blake who was clearly out of it, watching absently with an empty mind at the room full of dancers and bright, strobe lights. "Why're you sitting here by yourself? I can see at least three girls who can't seem to rip their gaze away from you, and trust me; there's been more than just those three, plenty more."

"Have you been watching me, short stack?" Dimitri asked, not able to hide the smirk on his face as his sipped his drink, loving how her cheeks became a very pretty pink.

"Your ego knows no bounds, Belikov." She retorted, gazing at the girls whose attention was solely on him, but at that moment, he was uninterested. "I wasn't looking, I was merely _observing_."

"I don't mind you looking, short stack, I mean it's a very rare occasion when you come across someone as libidinous as me." He raised an eyebrow as she scowled at him. She turned to Blake and tugged at his arm.

"Could you get me a drink?" She asked him, snapping the idiot from his gawking. As soon as his eyes fell upon the piece of hotness before him, he became entranced.

"Sure thing, sugar." He replied, putting his arm around her. "What can I get you?"

"Surprise me." She purred letting her finger trail down his toned stomach. Dimitri took a long drink.

After Blake left, Rose turned to Dimitri with a stoic look in her endless eyes, eyes that were easy to get lost in. "So, let me guess, Dimitri Belikov this century's much more active and attractive Casanova isn't going to go after any girls tonight?"

"Did you just admit that you find me attractive, Roza?" He purred, his dark eyes not being able to stop roaming her amazing body. Under the strobe lights, he saw a slight blush rise on her cheeks.

"No, I was merely referring to the fact that you think your God's gift, imitating you, if you will." She said, running a hand through her stunning locks. She was silent for a moment. "So, I was correct. You're not going to go after any girls tonight."

"I never said that, Jesus woman, let a man drink his vodka in peace!" He protested, downing his last dribble of drink. He slammed the glass on the wooden table and then wiped his lips before standing up. "What's the rush? Women only need two things from me: sex and bragging rights. Getting these wanton privileges should give me the opportunity to do things at my pace."

"I'm not rushing, I'm just becoming increasingly annoyed by the amount girls gossiping, and giggling about you right in my fucking ear; I'm hoping that once you -do you're thing- the chatter will stop." She paused for a second and then her face twisted in disgust. "Did you just say girl's hook up with you for… 'Bragging rights'."

"Yeah…Your point?" Dimitri asked his tall form towering over her cute, small one. "Oh, and don't bet on the giggling girls to stop. I'm just that hot."

"God, you really _are_ a narcissistic, egotistical mother fucker, aren't you?" She said, placing a fragile hand on her defined waist, her hip sticking out at bit as she leaned heavier on one leg than the other.

"Well, if you've got it, flaunt it." He said simply with the shrug of his muscled broad shoulders. He watched as she assessed him in his sexy, tight leather jacket, her eyes becoming distant. Her mouth hung open slightly.

"I understand that the mere sight of me has you gaping like a fool, but could you please control your impulses."

"No, no it's not that." She said, spinning around as if looking for someone. "I was meant to meet Tasha about fifteen minutes ago." She muttered loudly over the loud, floor vibrating music. "I got to go, Pretty Boy, catch you later."

Dimitri nodded his head and watched her petite body saunter away, those entrancing carnal hips somehow moving to the sound of the beat and making Dimitri's breath catch in his throat. He shook his head slightly and ran a hand through his hair before ordering another larger glass of vodka.

_**oX.o.x.**_

_**Rose…**_

I looked around the convulsing bodies, hoping to see a sign of where she was, but I couldn't see anyone that bore her many tattoos or sexy black crop and dress. My eyes fell on Sonya who was looking around wildly like me, obviously looking for either Avery or Lissa, both of whom I had seen in the club, pressing into many different guys. I rolled my eyes and made my way towards the bathroom where she probably went to get some breathing space. The packed dance floor was extremely bad for the lungs; I could barely breathe.

"Tasha?" I asked; walking into the bathroom just as a toilet flushed. I was brought with a sense of relief when I saw black hair, but then I realized it was long and bone straight. "Oh, are you fucking serious?"

"As the plague, sweetheart." Avery smiled sarcastically as she washed her hands in the warm water.

"Ah, okay. Have you seen Tasha?" I asked, not really in the mood to hear this bitch gloat about how amazing being popular is. "I can't find her."

"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't." Avery said, drying her hands with a green paper towel. She wore a sexy purple dress that suited her skin tone brilliantly. "What makes you think I'd help you out, anyway?"

"Okay, I didn't realise this was kinder garden," I snapped, feeling the anger slowly lurk in my throbbing veins. "You want to argue who gets to have the crayons next? At least that argument would be progressive unlike the one you're about to start right now."

"Oh you think you're so bloody fantastic, don't you Hathaway?" Avery smirked, folding her arms to look at me, her eyes dark and full of hatred.

"Oh fuck, look who's talking," I said, copying the bitch's stance as I leaned against the wall, my face hard yet stoic. "You walk the school like you expect everyone to bow, yet you have the cheek to say I think I'm fantastic? Boy, you're thicker than I gave you credit for."

"Watch it Hathaway."

"No, you watch it Lazar." I growled, watching her eyes narrow. "You started this, okay? You got a problem? I'm giving you the chance now to solve it."

"_My_ _problem_ is you, bitch." Avery said idiotically.

"Yeah- I got that, but thank you for making a dick out of yourself. It cheered me considerably."

"You know one of these days Rose, you're going to be left with nothing, and I can't wait until that day comes," Avery hissed, her annoyance cracking through every syllable. "Your friends will leave you, Andre won't like you any-"

"Ah, I see." I said; walking towards her, my high heels clicking across the tiled floor, my arms still folded. "You're jealous."

"Jealous. Of you? Please." Avery said, looking at her nails, unable to look me in the face. I stepped l closer and glared at her.

"You're jealous that Andre doesn't even give you a _second_ glance, and yet he showers me with his affections." I chuckled, doing anything that I could annoy her. She watched me in curiosity and her lips twisted in a sadistic, evil smirk.

"You know, when I first heard you where an addict _and_ a criminal, I didn't believe it." Avery cutely said, her voice light as she realised she had caught me completely off guard. "But you've been hiding your true personality from us all, haven't you Rosie? You _really_ are a manipulative bitch aren't you?"

"How did you know about that?" I said, standing in front of her, forcing those grey eyes to snap to my brown ones. My voice had dropped in tone, pace and volume and the urge to kill someone was becoming increasingly hard to ignore.

"Fucks sake, Rosie, you were screaming it all over the Dragomir party, the true question is; who doesn't know about it?" She whispered, her breathe tickling my ear. I backed away feeling sick to the stomach, hating that she of all people knew this.

I walked towards the door and pressed the palm of my hand into my eyes, hearing the hiss of Avery's poisonous words. "So, if you don't want this news to spread to all those who still deem you as innocent Rose, you'll walk away from Andre and stay away from me."

I couldn't help it, my head snapped up and I glared at the bitch. "Are you threatening me?" I couldn't take it anymore, with Avery threatening me now and Holly earlier, I just couldn't take anymore threats pushing down on my shoulders.

"What if I am? You going to stop me?"

"You are so dead…" I clenched my hands to my sides and immediately darted towards Avery. The first thing I did was lift my fisted hand, raising it to shoulder height, feeling my muscles clench, I released the punch and smacked her straight on the face, crying out in both pleasure and pain her face made contact with my fist. She convulsed slightly and then collapsed on top of the sinks. She dived up straight away, her cheek looking slightly swollen, it wasn't enough to draw blood- but I wasn't finished yet. She tried to claw at my face and hair, but I grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. I ran and pined her against the wall and with my other hand gripped another handful of her gunky hair, bending her neck far back so my small frame could reach her ear. "You _ever_ threaten me again, Lazar, and I will personally kill you."

"I'm going to tell everyone anyway, so do whatever the hell you want, but you'll be caught!"

"Go ahead and tell everyone! You know, all you rich kids are all the fucking same," I spat, in her ear, enjoying the pain I created as I pulled her hair. "Poor little rich girl, so bored on spending all of daddies money, so she makes up bullshit to entertain herself. It's pathetic really."

"Rose?" My attention was brought elsewhere when Tasha entered the bathroom, she took in the situation, and her eyes widened in shock. "What the fuck, Rose!"

"Get this fucking criminal off me!" Avery yelped when I pulled her arm further up her back, pulling her head back.

"Rose, come on, let her go, she's not worth it." Tasha said, her long manicured fingers nabbing at mine to let go until I did, watching in disgust as Avery unravelled herself from the knot I had her in. Tasha held my arms back as I breathed heavily watching Avery watch me. You would have thought I expected her hand to rise and smack me across the face with a stinging impact, but it didn't and for a second I was momentarily shocked, but then Tasha's grip tightened and I realized I was trying to explode from her grasp so that I could kill the snarky girl before me.

"Avery, get the fuck out of here." Tasha warned, wrapping her arms around me as I tried to escape, Squeals of protest left my mouth as I angrily tried to burst through her iron embraced. "She'll fucking kill you if you don't move!"

"I'm not afraid of that bitch!" Avery spat.

"I would be, if I was you." Tasha warned, her voice shaky and laboured as she tried to control each one of my limbs flailing every direction. Tasha's grip loosened when she spoke to the skank, so it gave me the opportunity to erupt from her arms, to dive on Avery. I knocked her head first against the tiles, and I grabbed a hand of her hair as I smacked her pretty, little face off the ground. A large pair of arms lifted me off her, and I could tell these were not girl arms;, they belonged to a man.

"LET ME GO!" I screeched, anger pulsing through me as I watched Avery stand up, her cheek swollen and nose busted. Tasha helped whoever held my arms, by grabbing my legs and there was no way I could escape this cage, but that didn't stop me from trying.

"You're going to pay for this Rose!" Avery screeched;, her eyes tight on my red, angry face. "You've messed with the wrong girl!"

"Save the cliché dramatic bullshit for your slutty friends, now fuck off, before I let Rose go," Tasha warned, her face contorting, "And it's going to be you who's paying."

Avery's long rushed arm clamped onto the door handle, pulling it open and colliding with a hysterical Lissa, her once beautiful face covered in tears and running mascara, her nose a bright red and her eyes bloodshot. Her hair was in a mess as if she had been holding onto it in hysteria.

"Watch where you're walking!" Avery warned, shoving passed her friend and completely ignoring that fact that Lissa looked like her convulsions of tears would drive her into the ground.

"S-sorry," She muttered, her shaking voice whispered after Avery. Her hand was trembling so much; it looked like it was vibrating. The infuriating and petulant thoughts invading my mind had not yet soothed, though I tried to calm down my strenuous breathing, and discolour my violently red face, hopefully. I repeated the words 'calm down' over and over again, muttering it under my breathe so many times that once Tasha released me, she gave me a apprehensive look, her icy blue eyes calculating.

After the looks, she turned around to face Lissa, letting me rest against the cold tiled walls. "Let me guess, ran out of lip gloss?" Tasha growled, stepping closer to the quivering girl. I never really understood why Tasha hated Lissa so much, I mean she wasn't my favourite person in the world, but it seemed cruel to me what Tasha was doing.

"Tasha." I warned, keeping my words neutral. My friend turned around to look at me, her eyes blazing. I took a step towards her, the only noise in the large bathroom was the clicking of my high heels, and Lissa's hard breathing. I tried and tried so hard to calm down my angry thoughts. The very thoughts that gave me an urge to run out into the club and kick the shit out anyone who looked even remotely close to Avery Lazar; and I was mostly successful. Every few seconds, however, my eyes would snap to the door, _praying_ that she would walk back through the bathroom door, giving me an excuse to finish her.

"Are you…okay?" I asked softly. Normally, especially considering the mood I was in, I would have left her in the corner crying, probably throwing a few rude words her way, but for some reason, looking at her, and actually remembering that she had done _nothing_ wrong to me. I was biased and rude, just because Tasha hated her- for a reason I did not know.

"No, someone really special to me j-just…" She wiped her eyes and tried to control her shaky breaths. "We just had an argument."

"Aaron?" I asked, trying to raise my eyebrow, but failing miserably, and probably looking like a fool whilst doing it. I could see Tasha glare at me from the corner of my eye; she was obviously unhappy that I was talking to the girl she hated, even though she had just snapped at the bitch I despised.

"N-no…" She cried sadly, and it registered to me at that moment that this was the first time, in five weeks, that I had actually talked to this girl. "We broke up weeks ago."

"Well, where is the person you had an argument with?" I asked, trying my best to stop her from crying like the way she was. "Maybe I can go talk to her…or him."

"No he's gone." She cried loudly, "I'm such a bitch. He told me he was tired of hiding our relationship! He's g-gone- he said he was leaving."

"Well who is it?" I asked, feeling curious.

The quivering girl before me looked up at Tasha and her bloodshot eyes focused tightly on her, the stare between the two was so intense, I had a feeling they both forgot I was there. "It's my boyfriend." Lissa muttered, wiping her eyes to look strongly at Tasha again. "It's Christian."

Everything was silent. For a long, long while there was that deafening silence, so you can imagine how I along with Lissa, reacted when Tasha dived on her, screaming madly and violently, "YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

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_Okay, end of chapter! I hope you enjoyed it..._

_Please review and give me your ideas on how the story will play out, or if you have any questions- just review :D_

_Another big thanks to Valdeh! xox_

_Thank you so much, and I love you guys :D_

xoxox


	7. Chapter 7

**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The orginal content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

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_Heya guys! Back with another update x) I don't usually do this, but I want to deticate this chapter to a wonderful friend of mine, and on Fanfic she is called Minties. Please check her profile out and her story 'A Different Beginning' because it is just.. wow._

_Thank you all so much for your reviews, I LOVE YOU ALLL SO MUCH! you have no idea!_

_A BIG BIG BIG thanks to my amazing Beta Valdeh, if you guys wanna check out her profile, go onto mine and there shall be a link at the bottom! Valerie, I love ya girl, no matter how corrupt and disturbing that magnificent mind of yours is! xoxo _

**Chapter songs**

_**Closer to the edge- 30 Seconds to Mars (Scene one)_

_**I'm with you- Avril Lavigne (Tasha and Rose)_

_**With or without you- U2 (Lissa)  
_

_**Hurricane- 30 Seconds to Mars (Christian)_

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**Chapter Seven- **_Daddies&Dates._

**"I might talk about killing people, but that doesn't mean I do it." ~ Eminem.**_  
_

_**Rose…**_

My eyes watched the various amount of cars zoom past the cold parking lot of the 'The Court', two girls stood at my side, whom were separated by my ready and anticipating body. The blonde beauty to my right was rustled and shaken, her skinny hands fiddling continuously with the ripped hem of her gorgeous white dress, an expression of intergraded emotions were etched on her face, and a clump of patchy bruises decorated her perfect left eyebrow. To my left, the dark beauty stood poised and ruler-like, her spine erected and straight. Her fist which was clench tightly to her side was vibrating and her knuckles had turned a pasty white as she controlled her anger. There was a macabre feeling rising and rippling through my spine as I thought how grotesque this situation was. With Lissa's light beauty and Tasha's dark elegance, I almost felt as though I had an angel and a devil perched on each shoulder, whispering contrasting ideas into my cluttered mind- it was almost like a fight between the light and the dark.

Mason had been the man's arms I felt around me as I bashed Avery and once he realized how alarming the situation actually was, he decided kindly to help. Lissa, Tasha and I waited hesitantly as Mason strolled around the corner to get his mother's car. Looking but not seeing the myriad amount of cars passing, I continued to contemplate the deranged series of events that had taken place only a few moments ago. One image that my mind favoured was the animalistic expression on Tasha's face as she smashed into Lissa's quivering body, fire in her normally icy eyes, and a murderous growl upon her face. It took all I had, combined with Mason's strength, to rip Tasha's claws from Lissa's skin and to keep her away from the light beauty. My eyes cautiously snapped to the black haired girl to my left and I surveyed her tight stance and her persecute expression, feeling a twist of emotions mingle in my stomach- I had never seen Tasha like this, and it scared me.

It had taken all my efforts and energy, along with Mason's, to separate the girls and to keep Tasha reposed and calm. I could see that she was outraged that we would be catching a ride home with Lissa, but we didn't have a car, and Mason offered- as Mason was one of Lissa's close friends, she came along- much to Tasha's dismay.

"I can't believe you're actually _considering_ giving this bitch a ride home," Tasha spat, her quivering hands folding under her bosom, her short pixie cut hair in a disarray and her face red in controlled rage. "You seriously want a murder on your hands? Because if she doesn't walk away within in next few minutes, I think I'll kill her."

Lissa didn't defend herself, giving nothing more than an incoherent whimper as she continued to fiddle with her dress. I turned around and looked at my friend whose bright blue eyes glowed in rage, the wide dark pupils flickering to the other girl every other second. "Oh come on, Tasha." I protested, running a shaking hand through my hair. The night had been drama-packed and I was exhausted. "We can't just leave her here."

"Well one of her skanky friends can come pick her up." Tasha growled, finally snapping her eyes back to the road, a number of various coloured cars zooming pass us.

"To be fair Tasha," I began, not really feeling comfortable with arguing with my best friend at the moment , especially because she was the one in the wrong. "Mason is Lissa's friend, and he's giving _us_ the ride home."

Tasha's eyes glowed in rage and began to melt until they were motionless pools of blue. "Fine, I'll walk." And just as she turned to walk away, my hand lurched out and clamped hard onto her bare arms, twisting her around until she was forced to look straight at me, her sharp piercing eyes skewering me deeper than any knife could.

"Stop acting like this." I warned; my eyes calm and sure, that I kept firm on her apathetic glare. She kept up the charade that she just didn't care, but through her impassive gaze I could see the tiny speck of emotion that indicated this situation hit closer to home than she let on. Something was really bothering her. "I'm not asking you to stay with her all night, or even to _talk_ with her- just five minutes in a car. That's all I'm asking. Please."

Her blue eyes searched mine suspiciously before she relaxed her arms and shoulders, her eyes softening slightly. She gave me no articulate response, though her tattooed neck jerked forward twice as she gave me stiff, unsure nods. She stood to my left again and stayed still, watching the different lights and cars move before us. Lissa, who was on my right, folded her arms from the breeze and her eyes were austere and void, showing nothing of how she might have been feeling, even though I knew she was enduring a variegated amount of emotions.

I stretched my hand to touch her arm in comfort, but my efforts where annihilated when a bright beacon of light shone in my wide eyes as Mason's car parked right in front of us, a loud honk roaring through the noisy scene as he peaked his head out of the open window.

"Hop in." He said; his freckled arm flung over the open window as he smiled cheerily at us, a few scratches etched across his handsome face, the only indication that he had broken up two fights that night.

I gave Tasha a reassuring look before watching Lissa climb into the front seat, her movements jittery and shaky as she sat herself down, her emotionless face intact. Even though she had revealed nothing that would expose her true feelings, I hadn't missed the shuttering sighs as she tried to control her harsh breathing and how her pupils dilated when Tasha or I so much as set our gaze upon her. Her eyes revealed just how scared she was of my best friend and me. Witnessing that utter look of fear, I felt something that I would have embraced a few days ago but endured with much pain at that moment - Guilt.

I accompanied Tasha in the back seat, taking her bleeding hand in mine as we began to drive. I watched carefully as she took deep shuttering breaths, how her lips pursed as if holding in a dam of tears, how her tattooed hand shook in mine. I didn't even have to be amazingly close to Tasha, to know that something was coiling deeply in her delicate mind. For one thing, I knew that she was worried about Christian's safety and his whereabouts and that she was deeply concerned about him and his feelings. I wasn't worried in the slightest. Yeah, I was slightly apprehensive towards the fact that he was upset, but that didn't change the fact that he was a strong man who could look after himself, he didn't need Tasha for him to function in this world.

The inside of the car was thick with tension and nobody spoke, feeling the four walls of the small car close in on us, squeezing the oxygen through the tiniest of little holes. I tried my hardest to ignore the ever present feeling of strain and hostility and I was extremely relieved when Mason finally parked outside Lissa's huge mansion, bringing me many memories of Abe, Dimitri and Andre- different combination of thoughts gathering together to create an explosion in my mind. Lissa's shuttering hand untied her seatbelt and with a quick 'thanks' she opened the door and stepped out, looking dejected and seriously beat up. I didn't even want to begin to comprehend the pain I felt inside as I watched Lissa's lonely form amble to her front door, and I couldn't resist the urge to follow her. "Hold on, I'll be back in a second." I let go of my friends bloody, inked hand with one last squeeze before stepping out into the grounds of Lissa's amazing house, and began running after the blonde girl. Finally after hearing the sound of my heels hitting the hard concrete many times, I made it to her and she stopped, turning around to give me a curious glare.

"You're not here to hit me are you?" She asked her voice slightly snappy as she crossed her arms. Her jade green eyes blazed in anger and hurt as she assessed me, her pupils running up and down my red dress and face.

"That is _not_ cool." I stated, stepping closer to her frightened/angry form, ignoring how she took at least three steps back to escape me. "I stopped Tasha from hitting you, so stop making it out as if I'm the one who's going to hurt you."

"You want to hurt me though,", Lissa said, her eyes snapping to the red car down the drive, her fingers knotting together as she caught Tasha's murderous gaze, "you and Tasha both do."

"Wanting to hurt someone and actually _hurting_ them are two different aspects," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose in annoyance, "...aspects that would be wise for you to learn. Plus, it's not like you don't deserve all this hate. You bring it all on yourself."

"I don't do anything wrong- at all!" Lissa protested her eyes wide and I could see how desperate she was to prove her innocence, no matter how much I wasn't buying it.

"Just because I hang out with people who do bad things, doesn't mean I'm a bad person."

"Yes it does actually; it makes you ten times worse than your friends." I admitted, folding my arms under my chest and keeping my eyes firm on the girl before me. "They know what they're doing and they know they're all bastards, but you just idly watch them and do nothing about it, thinking you are innocent- which makes you worse."

We stood there feeling the soft breeze flutter against our bare legs and shoulders, both of us with our arms crossed and our faces tight and watchful. The breeze was flowing through my long hair as I assessed her face, watching as she took in my advice. I didn't acknowledge the front door opening, and I didn't bother to look. My eyes stayed firm on Lissa as I watched a current of thoughts cascade through her mind, finally after a huge exhale, I turned around to see the gorgeous face of Andre Dragomir. Lissa's eyes snapped to the beautiful man, watching as he watched us, a curious yet somehow calculating expression stitched to his face. His eyes fell on his sister, and they immediately narrowed.

"What happened to you?" He asked his deep voice full of concern. He stepped out of the huge house and walked down a few steps before reaching us. His soft pianist hands touched his sister's face lightly, tilting her chin upwards as he assessed the dark red marks covering her cheeks and eyebrows- the bruises that my friend had inflicted. "Who did this?"

Lissa's weak hand lightly removed her brothers prodding fingers, and she gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." She lied, her eyes snapping to me, as though she was daring me to rebut her lie. I stayed quiet, carefully taking in how her nostrils flared slightly and her eyes batted as she lied.

"Lissa, your bruises say otherwise," Andre said calmly, though I could hear the disguised anger in his words. "Who did this to you?"

"You know… I can't even remember," Lissa said with a slight shrug of the shoulders, raising her hands in a nonchalant gesture. "I was trying to get out of the club and someone accidently elbowed me whilst they were dancing…I can't remember what they looked like."

Andre stepped back, his eyes portrayed that he didn't believe a word that left his sisters lips, but after a long intense moment he nodded his head and watched the pretty girl as she made her way back into the house, her head bowed and her shaking hand trailing through her long locks. After his sister closed the door tightly behind her, Andre turned to face the red car which was situated at the end of the drive, with an impatient Tasha and Mason inside. Finally, his gorgeous green eyes fell on me, a speck of anger tinted and stitched through his captivating irises.

"She didn't get elbowed in the face, did she?" He asked, folding his arms across his hard chest. I couldn't answer him, so I decided for a slight shake of the head, feeling unbelievably guilty as he exhaled, pain stitched in every atom of air leaving his lips.

"Where did you go yesterday?" Andre asked quietly, obviously trying to change the subject, his arms staying folded across his muscled chest. "I waited for you to return with your father, but you never did."

"Something came up," I lied bluntly, keeping my eyes far away from his prodding pupils surrounded in stunning green.

"Yeah?" Andre asked sceptically, his eyebrows rising. "How come no explanation came with your father? I waited for ages, and ended up having to spend the rest of the night with _Avery_ _Lazar_. Do you realize how annoying that was?"

I couldn't even manage to give my reply in coherent words. With all the events that had taken place that night, I just didn't have the capability to answer him in his puerile questions. I simply lifted my shoulders and shrugged, keeping my eyes away from him. Finally, after a long silence, I had to peak at his expression and I was brought with his desolate glare as he watched me and I knew he wouldn't leave without an answer, I sighed then said with another shrug, "It wasn't like I was your assigned date anyway, there was no need for me to tell you."

"I had to leave early…and it was a party in _my_ house!" Andre said lightly, though I conjectured that he was more serious than he portrayed. "I had to drive around the block for about three hours before I was sure Avery was gone- and you didn't even have the courtesy to tell me you were gone so that I could have left before she detected me?"

"Listen, Andre, I could stand here and rhyme off many different excuses and I could apologize until hell freezes over, but that won't change the fact that I left early last night." I said giving him an aloof, contemptuous shrug. "You didn't have to wait on me, and you standing here throwing facts won't distort the truth- it wasn't my fault. So, if that's all you've got to say, I'm going to go now."

"No, wait, wait!" He said, placing a soft, callous-free hand on my arm. "Am I still coming by your house tomorrow for lessons?"

I felt a slight current of fear flow through my veins as I contemplated the question. I didn't know what to say to people, tell them why I had left. Although I despised my father, I didn't have it in me to destroy him…I just couldn't do it, and I didn't know why. Every time I thought of exposing his sick twisted ways, I was filled with guilt, some confounded feeling and the realization that I couldn't hurt him, no matter how much he hurt me.

"No, I'm staying at a friend's for the next few days- You might need to ask Abe for the details." I said, finally bringing my eyes to look at the gorgeous blonde-haired person before me, who was too close for my liking. I stepped back and ignored the cute look of disappointment on his face.

"Oh, okay…" He said, folding his arms. I could practically taste his discomfort as it bounced of his Armani shirt and jeans. He gazed at me as I glared back, seriously not in the mood for this.

"Well, now that you're finished, I'm going to leave." I said, raising both of my eyebrows as I clicked my tongue and backed away towards Mason's car.

"Wait, Rose!" Andre said, walking after me with an indistinct expression on his face. "I'm kind of under the impression that I won't see you for a while…and, uh, seeing as how that assumption is probably true, I wanted to be given the opportunity to change it."

"Change it how?" I asked, coming to a stop to glance at the perfect man before me.

Andre's mouth upturned in a cute smile, his perfect white teeth almost glowing. "Would you let me take you out sometime? You know, like…go out together?"

I thought for almost two seconds before I heard the loud honk of Mason's car and I quickly made up my mind. "Yeah, sure." I muttered numbly backing away from his stunning form. "I'll call you tomorrow or something, 'kay?"

He nodded his head, a huge delighted smile spreading through his gorgeous face. He watched me as I scrambled to Mason's car, my foot movements quick and harsh, nearly falling over my heels with every step.

_**oX.o.x.**_

_**Rose…**_

Finally, after a long and uncomfortable ride, Tasha and I exploded through our front door, neither of us muttering more than a syllable between us. A conglomeration of feelings and emotions were brewing savagely in my stomach and mind, filling me with doubts and disbelief. It occurred to me that no matter how crappy the night of 'celebration' had been for us, one fact remained; I was still free of Abe's controlling, predominating hands and I was still delighted at that fact. However, Tasha had _nothing_ to be happy about. I could tell from the way she kicked her shoes off and stormed to sit on the couch that she was not in the best of moods. Her chest fell and rose heavily as she glanced at the dark abyss of black radiating from the switched off television, a look of pure and utter hatred sketched on her stunning face.

I sighed, releasing the thick atmosphere of vexation and discontent from my heavy lungs. I took one look at Tasha, seeing as she sprawled dejectedly across the red couch and witnessing her sad slouched figure, I was brought back to the bathroom of 'The Court' when I ripped Tasha from a terrified Lissa. Tasha's eyes were dark, though no sign of hatred was visible- all I could see was sadness and pain and I felt a great sense of loss. Looking at her body stretched and slumped across the leather couch, it was clear that something was really upsetting my friend, this answer was confirmed when her shoulders started shaking slightly.

I kicked off my shoes in the middle of the living room, and strolled into the kitchen to make my friend some hot chocolate, hoping with all my might that the drink could calm her shattered nerves and pain-filled body. Many questions filled my fragile mind, and with the amount of questions I harboured you'd think I would have _one_ answer- but none came. I couldn't figure out why Tasha hated Lissa so much, and the facts were blurred and inaccessible to me. Once I made the hot chocolate, and was confident it was made to absolute perfection, I brought two steamy mugs filled with the amazing drink and handed one to my upset friend, who had her back arched and her face placed in her hands. She looked at me before she took the drink in her hands and awarded me with a thankful smile as she covered the ceramic cup with her long fingers and brought it to her lips where she blew the hot drink.

"Okay, spill." I said seriously, folding my legs under me before copying Tasha as I blew my own drink.

"Wouldn't that be incredibly stupid?" Tasha asked, raising her eyebrow to me as she continued to blow her hot chocolate. "If I spilled my drink, I would be scalded and be covered with unattractive burns."

"I didn't mean your _drink_." I chastised, giving her a stern look. "I meant _you_ spill. Come on, tell me what's up?"

"Nothing's up." Tasha lied, and I watched carefully as she avoided my piercing gaze. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine -far from it actually." I stated, my voice soft as I watched the beautiful girl whose eyes were already beginning to tear up. "Come on, Tasha, you can trust me- please just get it off your chest."

"It's nothing! - I'm worried about Christian, that's all." Tasha said softly, her pale long fingers touching the white cup, her eyes cast down as she watched the deep mug filled with the comforting, thick liquid. She wouldn't look at me, keeping her eyes far away from my gaze.

"Christian's fine, Tasha," I said softly, placing a hand on her knee as a tear cascaded from her eyes, dripping from her chin and into her dark dress, "He'll be back eventually, you know how Christian is."

"But what if he _doesn't_ come back?" Tasha whimpered, more tears leaving her gorgeous eyes as she sniffed repeatedly. "What if that _bitch_ really _hurt_ him this time? What happens then? What happens if he can't stand to come back? I…I can't be without my brother, Rose."

"I know, Tasha, but he will come back, believe me." I said; sitting closer and letting her rest her head on my shoulder. "Lissa can't hurt someone as strong as Christian."

"Except she can!" Tasha whimpered loudly beside me. "He _loves_ her, Rose. She's hurt him so many times before, and every time he goes crawling back _because_ he loves her, but I think this time was the boiling point- I honestly think he's going to leave for good this time."

"Well, he can't stay away for too long," I said logically, setting down my hot chocolate on a lamp table beside me, before running my hand through her short, soft hair. "He hasn't got another place to stay, Tasha. He has to come back."

"Not if he goes back to our parents." She said her voice still extremely overwrought and despondent, a slight slither of poison needled through her words, her shoulders tightening slightly. "If he goes back to them, _I'll_ _never_ _see_ _him_ _again_."

"Don't you think your being slightly melodramatic; I mean a bus to your parents house is only-"

"No, you don't get it, Rose." Tasha muttered, sitting up straight to wipe her eyes. She grabbed the ugly afghan she had used to cover me with the other night, and she wrapped it around her shoulders, setting her untouched drink on the coffee table. "It's not about the price of the bus journey, or how long the journey might take…" She stayed quiet for a long time, her eyes staring grievously at no where, her past obviously playing before her eyes. "You know, one of the things I really love about you Rose, is that you _never_ asked about my past, even though I knew you wanted to know. Not once did you even hint towards it… "

I didn't open my mouth to speak, knowing that she wasn't finished.

"Christian and I used to live in a large house in Montana with our mom and dad." She muttered, looking down at her bare feet before bringing her eyes straight up to mine, I noticed how dejected and lost they looked, filling with buckets of tears getting ready to explode. "Life wasn't particularly perfect or even _enjoyable_, but it was manageable and I was satisfied with what I had.

No matter what, Christian and I were close. We didn't agree with half of our parent's views- I mean what sensible teenager would agree with a Pastor and the head woman of a 'Stand Up & Stop the Homosexual Movement' group? We loved mom and dad, but some of the shit they came off with was even too much for _me_ to endure. Everything revolved around God, Jesus, Praying and everything that comes with the 'highly religious' package. So Christian and I would sometimes make fun of them or do things on purpose _just_ based on the fact that we wanted to piss them off. Of course, no one actually _knew_ how annoying we were, everybody was happy to believe that were the ever perfect children of the even more perfect Pastor and his gay-hater wife. In our small town, we were admired and adored for our unbelievable 'Christian Qualities'."

Tasha paused and took a deep breathe and rubbed her arm in discomfort, but she continued her story and I sat in silence, entranced.

"So you can imagine how my parents reacted when I told them that I was gay. My mother wouldn't talk to me and refused to look at me, my father sat me in my room for days and preached the word of God, over and over again, and once I told him that God couldn't change my sexual preference, he called me the 'Devils spawn'-cliché, right? They refused to speak to me, feed me or even look at me- they ignored me for weeks, but they didn't want to kick me out in my ass, afraid that I'd shatter their flawless reputation."

I saw the onslaught of tears break through her eyes. I knew how she felt- like an outcast, unwanted and unloved- only Tasha had it ten times worse, because she loved her parents whereas I couldn't stand mine. She was broken and beat down by the people she thought she could depend on.

"They wanted _nothing_ to do with me, and my father actually threatened to kick me out before my mother told him: 'what would the neighbours think?'" Tasha's voice had risen in pitch and she put on a snooty accent as she imitated her mother. "So one day, I was sick of all the _shit_, so I grabbed my bag and I filled it up with clothes and anything that would come to any use to me- but I had no money, and I wasn't about to go and ask for it. Just as I was about to throw my bag back into my closet, Christian walked into my room and he stood next to me, and he told me he would stick by me no matter what-he defended me the whole way.

So one day, Christian talked to my parents and they discussed the possibility of sending money to Christian every month to go to a 'prestigious school' and be able to pay for his own apartment where he could keep me away from the respectable neighbours and hopefully convert me from my demonic ways- lying to them was the only possible way to actually get money. To this day, my parents believe that Christian is keeping me away from respectable characters in society whilst trying to change my mind about being gay."

All was silent, except for the constant ticking of the clock above the television; finally, I found my voice. "I thought my parents where bad," I admitted, running a hand through my hair as I contemplated all that Tasha had went through, "I mean I was verbally abused because of something incredibly wrong I did, but you were punished for something totally out of your control? That hardly seems fair."

"So now you see why I need Christian so much," Tasha whimpered, "He's been through so much with me, and I honestly don't give two shits about St. Vladimir's or this god damned apartment- I need Christian because he's all I have left! And now, because of that _stupid_, slutty Dragomir bitch, he's out there somewhere, hurt, alone and about to walk into the controlling claws of my parents!"

"Tasha, I honestly don't think Christian loves her quite that much, if he's willing to give you up and go back to those horrible parents." I admitted, lifting my hot chocolate to take a drink. The liquid wasn't as warm as it had been, though it hadn't turned freezing yet, so I consumed the drink with enthusiasm. "He's probably out for a drink somewhere."

"You think I don't know when my twin is completely engrossed in someone?" Tasha asked seriously, her voice monotonic and drone. "He loved her with every fibre of his being, if not more! She held all of his attention and he just…he just loved her too much."

"He'll be okay." I tried to persuade her, but she wasn't having it.

"You know, he's _always_ been at my side no matter what, and at first when he told me about his relationship with the skank, I was cynical and skeptical." Tasha admitted, lifting her hot chocolate to drink it. "Then I realized he was _serious_, and I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was kind of…jealous. I know it sounds weird, but Christian has always been at my side and helping me carry on, and although I'm ecstatic that he's happy, I was just afraid that I'd lose him. I _knew_ that Lissa would hurt him- she was still dating Aaron whilst she was fucking around with my brother, that just shows you, doesn't it? I _knew_ he'd be broken-hearted by the end of this."

I looked out the window behind me to see that the sky was dark and scary, fitting Tasha's mood and behaviour perfectly. I looked at the girl in front of me and I studied her worried face watching how frown lines gathered on her forehead, and her mouth twisted into a sardonic smirk, obviously imagining Lissa getting run over, or many different horrible scenarios. Her eyes snapped to mine as I assessed her.

"She could have loved him too, you know." I said, refusing to be biased towards Lissa just because Tasha hated her. I didn't like Lissa, but I didn't feel comfortable backstabbing her, acting like Avery and her bunch of sluts.

"She didn't love him." Tasha firmly said an angry glare in her eyes. "If she loved him, she wouldn't be _ashamed_ of dating him, and she wouldn't have hid it! She also wouldn't have kept Aaron on a string either….You know, a few weeks back, Christian told me everything he was feeling- how manipulated and used he felt, how betrayed he felt, how he couldn't bare to look at her without feeling pain and that he couldn't handle it anymore. His exact words were 'The emotional pain she brings me is more painful than any physical harm that a man could inflict upon me' but you know what? He stayed, and she obviously did something to him tonight that made him explode."

"So you hate Lissa, because she hurt Christian?" I asked softly, feeling as though something wasn't adding up.

"Well, there's that among other things," Tasha admitted tightening the afghan around her skinny shoulders, her burned out eyes dropping as she fought the heavy onslaught of sleep. "I'm just looking out for my brother, Rose; I don't want to see him hurt."

"I know you don't Tasha," I muttered sympathetically, reaching my small hand out to cup her shaking knee. "But at the end of the day, even if he has left- which I highly doubt, he can't avoid the pain, and that's something you can't protect him from. Whether he is with you or your parents won't make a difference- he has to do this by himself."

The girl before me lifted her shaking hand and rubbed her red, bloodshot eyes and sniffed loudly before looking at me in appreciation, a small smile working its way to her perfect pink lips. "I'm so glad Abe kicked you out on your ass right now," She joked, crawling over to tighten her toned arm around my neck, blocking out any chance of oxygen entering my lungs. She literally sat on my lap as she rested her head upon mine. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here, Rose- I really don't."

We fell into silence, listening to the soft noises surrounding us. Outside, the loud roars of the cars were muffled by the brick walls of our apartment and the water faucet repeatedly let little drops of liquid fall from its wide nozzle, the collision of the plummeting drops and the sink, creating a wet, loud noise. The distant noise of our neighbour's footsteps as they paraded through the graffiti hallways seeped into the silent apartment.

Neither of us spoke a word as we contemplated everything that had lamentably developed in our lives; the inevitable pain life brought, the unfairness we were forced to endure, the aching truth of existence and the possibility of something better.

_**oX.o.x.**_

_**Lissa…**_

Alone, the blonde girl sat on her four poster kind size bed, looking down at the tear drops that cascaded down the familiar picture. The picture showed the most peculiar of couples; a princess and an outcast, light and dark, selfish and selfless, a liar and the one who refused to be lied to. She continued to cry over the picture of them together, Lissa hung her arms over Christian's shoulders as she perched herself on his lap, the picture was wonky as they were both laughing whilst taking it. Huge smiles were stitched on each face as they pressed their cheeks together, lips so close that they ended up dropping the camera to kiss.

Lissa had always been intrigued with the Ozera twins, but Christian was the one she always gazed at. His dark, brooding looks, those amazing crystal blue eyes and that somewhat imperfect grin when he caught sight of her, captivated her so deeply and strongly that it was overwhelming. Her lips twitched slightly as she remembered that day, it was rare whenever Lissa and Christian could be together alone, without the piercing, harsh glares of her friends and anyone she knew- anytime they could spend together was perfect. She placed the picture back under her pink, silk pillows and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

The bruises covering her pale face were prominent and disturbing. They travelled from her eyebrow to the crook of her high cheekbones and they were made of the most uneven shades of green and purple, making her face seem somewhat swollen. Her eyes were roaring red and her body ached. The worse thing about bearing the bruises was that it reminded her of how deserved everything she had handed her. She was selfish, egocentric and most of all, the worst girlfriend anyone could ever ask for. Although Lissa and Christian couldn't be any more different, they also couldn't have been any more perfect for each other- something that she ignored.

She knew that she loved Christian. The connection that they had shared through the past month was stronger than unbendable mental, thicker than a tonne truck and more endurable than the wisest, oldest man- but it had cracked. Lissa had destroyed the only thing she had ever wanted, crushed it because she was afraid of what people would think. She _knew_ that she shouldn't have been ashamed, that she should have embraced what Christian so willingly gave her. They loved each other, and still, that didn't seem to be enough for Lissa to sacrifice her friends respect and popularity. She chose a false life of pain and agony over an authentic life of love and cherishment, and for that, she hated herself.

Her mind played over the night, almost as if there was a replay button jammed into her guilt filled mind. She remembered how Christian tried to hold her hand, how he smiled at her and tried to kiss her, and she remembered how she snapped her hand away and laughed at him, allowing everyone to laugh at his embarrassed form. Even before the confrontation in the club, Christian had warned Lissa that he was sick and tired of pretending, how he was finished with lying to the ones he loved for the sake of Lissa's reputation- He wanted a real, faithful, legitimate relationship, a relationship that everyone could see. Christian didn't care about peoples opinions, Lissa's love was enough- so when she rejected him, that was the last string for Christian and he exploded, yelling at her all over the club causing him to leave broken hearted and devastated.

She strolled to the window and placed her hand on the white frame, glancing out into the large garden and life beyond the Dragomir home. Where was Christian now? She thought, _Is_ _he_ _in_ _trouble_, _or_ _alone_? The very thought sent shock waves of pain and regret through her twisted stomach, causing a chain reaction of gasps to leave her mouth. She needed to find him and soon. She needed to take back everything she had said to hurt him and once and for all, love him with everything she had, something he deserved all along.

Opening the window, she climbed onto the roof not risking a confrontation with her brother, who was obviously pissed at what happened. Lissa kicked off her heels and threw them on the grass below as she hunched up her dress to climb down the ragged tree in her bare feet. After she reached the soft ground, she tied up her hair with a braid around her wrist and put on her shoes again, before running towards the gate to escape.

She looked up at the dark, star clad sky as she continued to run feeling a drip of rain hit her nose. The tribulation that pumped inside of her veins didn't matter anymore, she needed her boyfriend and she needed the love of her life. She continued to run down the rain-dropped streets, one sentence leaving her mouth as she zoomed down the street, searching and looking.

"I'm coming, Christian."

_**oX.o.x.**_

_**Dimitri…**_

Dimitri's boots hit the gravel as he held onto the girl's legs and waist, keeping his lips stitched to hers as he devoured her mouth with animalistic passion. She moaned continually in his mouth as he used various amount of pressure against her lips, taking her lip in his mouth. It had literally taken two seconds for them to climb off the bike, and become immediately attached in each others embrace, and for that Dimitri was glad. Although he admitted that he didn't use his dick as much as everyone thought, that didn't change the fact that he liked sex a lot, and the girl he had in his arms was hot as hell.

His lips continued to salvage hers as she wiggled in his embrace, his hands exploring places that went beyond a PG rating. His breathe increased in pace and became hard and harsh as she squirmed in his hold, pressing her against the wooden beam connected to the stairs and he couldn't help it- he bent down until he was leaning on his knees, feeling stones dig into him as his hands clamped onto her sexy, tanned thigh. He lowered his head down until his lips touched the inside of her thigh, no fabric in his way as the girl had scooted the dress to ride around her waist. Dimitri looked up and gave her his cheeky, sarcastic smirk before he continued to press his lips closer and closer to where the leg led to and finally, his fingers found the ridge of her white underwear, dipping his fingers in to pull them down. The girl was breathing heavily and was clenching onto the wooden beam with such force, that Dimitri almost jumped when the girl moved out his reach and started to pull her underwear up.

"Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me!" Dimitri complained standing up, and readjusting his trousers that were now a little too tight for him. "You're seriously stopping this _now_? Fuck, you are such a fucking tease!"

"No!" The girl said, pulling down her dress her face panicked. "It's not that I don't want to-There's just a guy standing at your front door." She sounded slightly embarrassed and ashamed, and what she said had shocked Dimitri, so much in fact, that he scrambled to his knees to yell at his father, before realizing that his father was in a wheelchair and couldn't actually _stand_. What he saw, however, was much more shocking.

Christian was standing against his front door, his head bowed and his shoulders shaking so hard that it looked painful. Dimitri took one look at the girl in front of him, her blonde hair a mess and her cheeks a bright red. He snapped his gaze away and kept her standing as she strolled to his friend who looked wasted and distressed. Christian's head lifted as he saw Dimitri sauntering up the steps, and he stayed limp against the door-frame as he pressed a bottle of vodka against his wet lips.

"Dude, what the fuck?" Dimitri muttered, astonished at the smell radiating from his friend and nihilism bounced through his body as he watched Christian wobble over to him, almost falling over himself in the process. He had to grab his friend before he fell and smashed his head against the ground. "You're wasted!" Dimitri chuckled, throwing Christian's arm over his broad shoulder. Dimitri had to bend however, as Christian was lifted off the ground when he stood up to his full 6ft 6.

Dimitri's friend reeked as if he had consumed a large amount of alcohol and he didn't look the best either. Together, the two boys walked towards the steps and sat down, the taller of the two turning around to look at the small, blonde girl, who stood patiently waiting against his motorcycle. He gave her a confident, crooked smile which caused her to smile back, showing a perfect pair of teeth.

"Want to tell me why you're standing outside my house at two in the morning crying your balls off?" Dimitri asked, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, tightening his grasp for a few seconds before releasing.

"I needed to talk to you," Christian began, his words surprisingly strong and steady considering how trashed he was. His blue eyes fell upon the blonde girl who watched the exchange, his eyebrows arching slightly as he scowled. "But I can see that your attention is elsewhere, so I'll leave you to it."

Before Christian even had a chance of standing, Dimitri's hand shot out and kept him stuck to the dusty wooden floor. He stood and looked at the girl regretting what he had to do. "Hey, come here, will you?" Dimitri said, leaning against the wooden beam, his hands in his pockets. She walked sensually over to where Dimitri stood, her eyes sparkling.

"Change of plans," He said vividly, keeping his intense eyes on her small form. "You're going to go home, Lauren."

"My name's _Grace_."

"Yeah, whatever," He said with a shrug, turning around to look at his upset friend. "Go home."

"Okay…" She dragged out the 'O' and looked a little pissed. "I'll wait on your bike."

"I'm not taking you home."

"I don't have a ride." She protested, her eyes glowing in growing rage, her arms becoming straight and her fists clench.

"_Walk_," He commanded with a tough love attitude. "Just get out of here."

"Oh my God, you are such an _asshole_."

"I never said otherwise, sweetness." He said, not even bothering to look at her anymore. "If you don't get out here within ten seconds, you'll regret coming with me tonight."

"I already do, you asstard!" And with that, she stormed off, her heels getting stuck in the mud and traitor tears cascading down her face. Dimitri watched her leave before turning to his friend who was watching him angrily.

"You didn't have to be such a dick about it." Christian snapped, his guilty eyes watching the place where Grace had left.

"Yes, I did." Dimitri said logically, "She wouldn't have left otherwise, and I'm kind of occupied talking to your drunken ass."

"Asshole."

"And proud."

"Okay, seriously, I've had enough bullshit tonight," Christian muttered breathing heavily as he pressed his fingers in his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his noise with his thumb and forefinger. "Can I please just talk to you so I can get this shit of my chest?"

"Go on ahead," Dimitri said with a shrug, knowing what he was going to say before he opened his mouth. "Just know that I won't be braiding your hair nor having any pillow fights after this."

"Oh, how will I go on?" Christian sarcastically spat rolling his eyes. He looked at the fat drops of rain covering the grass and motorcycle, saving Dimitri for last. "Think we could go inside, it looks like it's going to be pissing from the heavens."

Dimitri nodded as he stood up; keeping close to Christian in case he flew over the wooden banister and into a pile of mud. Dimitri's hand clenched around the wooden door knob and his observing eye glanced at the dust caked window, and he witnessed his father sat before the television like any other night. As the old, chipped door creaked open to reveal his house and the buzzing sound of the blurry TV, he turned around to grab his friend who wobbled on the spot, his face void but his eyes somehow seeming emotional, swarming in hidden feelings that just needed to explode.

Dimitri sighed and entered the house, closing the creaking, groaning door lightly hoping that his father hadn't detected his presence. He released an abated sigh and held tightly onto Christians shoulder, avoiding his friend's careless footsteps as they tripped towards Dimitri's large bedroom. He looked back once to see the dull, blurry colours of blue and white blaze against the cheaply painted wall and smirked when he released that his father hadn't even acknowledged him. He entered his dark room, and allowed Christian to sprawl dejectedly across his black cotton bed.

He sauntered over to a moderate wooden chair that sat in the corner of the room, and he lit up another cigarette as he watched Christian stare ponderously at the ceiling, gazing into nothing. Dimitri took the long cigarette in his fingers and pressed it in between his lips, inhaling deeply as he drew in the comforting onslaught of nicotine. He exhaled; the smoke escaping from his barely open mouth and nostrils and flicked some of the glowing ash into a glass ashtray that sat on a standard bedside table next to him. The smog rising from the cigarette become invisible as it was swallowed by the engulfing oxygen. Dimitri's sharp, careful eyes observed the red glowing ash of his cancer stick, how the fog of thick smoke became lost and how his best friend looked empty- gone.

"You ever going to tell me what happened?" Dimitri asked, exhaling the smoke whilst tilting his head slightly backwards, enjoying the relaxing blanket of nicotine fill his body.

Christian sat up and arched his back as he leaned his forearms against his knees, his head bent in despondency as thoughts ran wildly through his shattered mind. After a few moments of empty, null silence his neck contracted as his head lifted and his piercing eyes stared straight at Dimitri, a melancholy expression on his broken face. "You already know what happened, well, you told me it was going to happen and I…I ignored you like some stupid, lovesick teenager."

"I know you are thriving through a self-explanatory, poignant epiphany," Dimitri began flicking another clump of ash into the glass dish, whilst keeping a sharp eye on his friend, "But in all fairness, you _are_ a love sick teenager."

"That doesn't change the fact that I should have _listened_ to you." Christian growled angrily, his hands clenching until they were bunched into tight fists, his nails digging into his palms. "You're always right about these things, Dimitri - How girls just fuck us up, how falling in love fucks us up, how _life_ fucks us up!"

"And yet you wonder why I stay out of relationships?" He asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow as his cigarette hung loosely in his grip between his thumb and finger. "Love sucks dude. It's stupid, pointless and extremely overrated."

"Except when it isn't stupid, pointless and overrated," Christian began sadly. "It doesn't suck then."

Dimitri was silent for a long time before he took one last draw and then stomped out his cigarette against the glass ashtray, crushing it into the rock crystal, watching the flame slowly die. He finally lifted his gaze and looked at his friend who looked cordially at him, a strange gleam in his eye. "Yeah? Well, I'll believe that, when I see it." Dimitri muttered, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned into the wooden chair, letting his long legs stretch. "Until then, I'll continue to believe in my sadistic out-look in life and I'll do it contently."

"Doesn't it ever bother you that you might never fall in love?" Christian asked curiously, sitting up straighter as he questioned Dimitri. Everything was silent for a while until Christian spoke again. "That you'll be alone forever?"

"I'll have endless amounts of company. What makes you suspect that I'll be alone?" Dimitri sarcastically asked, closing his eyes as he contemplated nothing, his mind the similar black abyss as he rested.

"So you're complacent with the fact that you'll spend your life with strange people and that you'll never settle down?" Christian asked, and Dimitri was surprised that he was even able to utter a single word based on the alcoholic smell bouncing off his friend.

"More than complacent, I'm ecstatic." Dimitri droned, lifting his head in boredom. "Lighten up Christian. You're _seventeen_. Stop thinking about settling down and fertilizing the Dragomir Bitch- live a little."

"And 'live a little' in your definition includes drinking, smoking and fucking, correct?" The black haired boy asked, his eyes weary as he glanced that the tall man sitting in the simple light wooden chair.

Dimitri didn't reply, instead he exhaled a huge breathe and dug deep into his pocket until he found another cigarette and he pressed it to his mouth, inhaling the toxic gas and letting it fill his body- a deep sense of relaxation spreading through him. Christian glanced knowingly at him, his eyes skeptical and cynical. Dimitri ignored his friend and continued to smoke his cigarette in silence as he looked out the window at the large, full moon and the constant trickle of rain splatter against the thin glass. His room was on the bottom floor, next to his father's and he could see the forest surrounding his house as if he was standing before it. He decided to analyse the scenery instead of talking to his friend.

"Your silence is deafening, Dimitri." Christian slowly and quietly said a hint of empathy in his eyes.

Dimitri exhaled again, and tightened his grip on the small cigarette stick, almost snapping it in half.

"My retort wasn't required," Dimitri began; his voice thick as he spoke to his friend. "The answer to your stolid question is as obvious as it is irrelevant. You know the answer, so why be persistent on hearing my answer?"

"Because I'm curious." Christian shrugged apathetically, his eyes portraying something different from what his shrug had. "Don't you feel shameful for the things you do?"

Dimitri chuckled darkly and almost choked on the toxic poisonous gas of the cigarette as it entered his lungs. "I think you've mistaken me as somebody with remorse."

"You know, I don't entirely believe that," Christian began, "That you have no remorse, I mean."

"If that was the case, do you think that I would be living the erotic life I lead now?" He retorted, exhaling a smog of smoke. "That I would be the way I am?"

Christian was silent for a long time, and no one uttered a word as thoughts tumbled through his shattered, drunken mind. Dimitri watched his friend, but nothing passed through his head and he continued to watch the patter of rain trickle down his window, noticing the dust caked to the corners of the narrow glass, creating big clumps of black dirt. Dimitri realized that he had to tidy the place up, but there was no motivation. What was the point? No one was ever in his room anyway, not even the girls he brought home. He either 'played' with them in the living room if his father wasn't there or outside if his father was, letting someone sleep next to him on his bed seemed to surpass a much more personal level- a level that Dimitri didn't find necessary to pass.

"No, I guess you wouldn't," Christian said with another shrug. His words implied that he believed in Dimitri's words though his demeanour said otherwise.

"Okay, as much as I love the attention, can we please get back on the subject?" He asked curtly, pressing the cigarette to his mouth. "What are you going to do about Lissa?"

Christian stared blankly at the plain wall, an expressionless look upon his vacant face. Dimitri watched as his hands fiddled with the hem of his shirt, how they would run through his hand nervously, and at that minute he had never been so thankful that he had never fallen in love. Lissa had publically humiliated him and that was enough for Christian to realize the truth- Love wasn't worth the pain it brought. Christian cleared his throat and shuffled in his place on the bed as he contemplated his situation and even Dimitri wasn't a big enough dick not to sympathize him.

"Well, what else can I do?" He asked sadly, "I can't just go to school and watch her _day_ _after_ _day_. That would kill me."

"So, you're going to move school, or what?" Dimitri asked, thinking Christians ideas where slightly melodramatic.

"No, I'm thinking I'd go back to my parents for a while, you know, so that I can clear my head." He said slowly, looking anywhere but Dimitri who watched him skeptically.

"You're going to your parents' house… to _clear_ your head?" Dimitri asked in disbelief, putting out his cigarette and leant forward, resting his forearms on his knees, his back arched. "Going to your parents' house won't clear your mind-it will have an opposite effect. Didn't you learn _anything_ from the years you spent with them? They'll just manipulate your vulnerable state as an excuse for you to stay."

"I think I can take my chances," Christian began sadly. "Plus, I won't be gone for long."

"The time period is irrelevant, especially to Tasha," Dimitri growled angrily, feeling his friend was giving up too easy. "You go, and everything you've built with Tasha will be destroyed."

"So I have to choose between my happiness and Tasha?"

"Why are you sorting those into two different categories? You can still have Tasha and be happy." Dimitri stated confidently, folding his arms as he leaned back, keeping his eyes sharp on Christian, who gazed out the window so he wouldn't have to meet Dimitri's piercing glare. "It's a decision between whether you want Lissa to dominate and dictate your life, or whether you're going to grab life by the balls and finally take control. You shouldn't have to give up everything you have because of that slut."

"I don't know…"

"Okay, okay," Dimitri said as he excogitated the situation that Christian was thrown into. "What about your life here in LA? What about Natalie and Rose?" Dimitri was immediately brought images of the beautiful, short girl in her blood red dress with her exquisite locks and her ravishing, flamboyant grin, a grin that should have belonged to a seductive demoness. He swallowed deeply and continued to watch his friend.

After a long moment of silence, the only noise filling the room was the constant rain and the blurring of the television, Christian finally spoke. "I don't think I can stay Dimitri, I don't think I _can_ see her everyday and _ignore_ my feelings for her."

"Who says you have to attend school?" Dimitri asked cheekily. "I'm rarely there. We can go and lounge in the cabin with a bottle of Jacks and just chill. The Anti-Lissa group, we could call it. That way, if a professor asks why we hadn't shown up for class, we could merely say that we were out of school for extra curricular activities."

Christian smiled slightly and folded his arms, and Dimitri could tell he had cheered him up considerably. He stood up and stood beside the window, and Dimitri thought he was about to do something absurd like hug him before he was thankfully interrupted by the loud bellow of his father's sordid, dilapidated roar.

"DIMKA!" The old man barked; his raunchy voice crackled. "IS THAT YOU DIMKA?"

"Oh, for fucks sake…" Dimitri muttered, rising to his full 6ft 6 as he stood from his cheap wooden chair. He kicked it aside and marched towards the broken door of his bedroom, dreading the confrontation that his father would surely begin.

He looked at the familiar hallway, and was distinctly aware that his drunken friend followed him as he filed onwards, coming closer to his fathers beckoning call. After gazing at the dusky floorboard and cracked walls, Dimitri entered the living room. He browsed the large enough room, and took in the surroundings that he had become adjusted to. The windows of the old house were chipped in the corners, and the floor was covered in stains and cracks caused by the abuse that the old house had endure throughout the years and the walls that had been painted by Dimitri himself, were beginning to become dirty and covered in stains due to his father's tantrums. Explosions of alcohol mostly Lager splashed against the cream paint, causing grimy, untidy stains. It disgusted Dimitri, but there wasn't much he could do with a father Like Anton Belikov.

The old man sat in his new wheelchair, a tin of Lager clamped in his large, meaty hand. Dimitri took in the large jagged scar, a scar very much like his own, that went from his father's temple to the end of his jaw and another neat slice going from his eye brow, right through his eye to the corner of his mouth. Anton's hair was longer than Dimitri's, the grey frizzed strands fell pass the man's broad shoulders, and it was tatted and messy. Whiskers of black/grey hair scattered across the mans scarred, scratched face. His old brown eyes, dark and wide like Dimitri's, were surrounded by light wrinkles and they were obscure and maniacal, his face, once handsome, was blotched with grotesque blemishes and sores.

Dimitri took in his fathers tough, strong build as the old man wheeled himself towards his son, his cracked lips tight in ambiguity. His abstruse gaze flickered to Christian who swayed behind Dimitri's tall form. He smirked and turned his back to the two boys.

"It's good to see that you're in the company of a man this time round, boy." Anton said, his eyes glowing as he joked with his son. "Messing around with all those tarts can't be good for your health."

"I dunno, feels pretty good to me, pa." Dimitri joked, placing his hands in his pockets after giving a nonchalant shrug.

Anton chuckled at his son, but his eyes were perplex and opaque. They fell on Christian again and he smirked, his cracked lips rising as he assessed him, his eyes became calculating and cunning. "You're that Ozera boy." He said curtly, wheeling his wheelchair towards the dark haired boy. He lifted the lager in his hand and glared at him with crafty eyes. "Can I get you anything?"

"Ah, no thank you…sir." Christian choked, sounding very apprehensive.

Anton chuckled, his raspy voice giving his laugh a chain saw like sound, creating a chain reaction of coughs to explode from his throat. "No need to call me sir boy." He chuckled again, "Only a gentleman deserves that title, and it's been a long since I've been one of those."

Dimitri snorted and walked across the room to lean against the wall, watching his father carefully. "Yeah, he could have figured that one for himself."

Anton glared at his son, and let out an improper chortle. His eyes fell upon Christian again and he folded his thick arms as he cleared his scummy throat. "Mazur's kid moved in with you."

"Dad." Dimitri growled; his tone low and thick as if he was giving his father a disconcerted warning. "Don't."

"What? I'm curious- the girl's pretty." Christian and Dimitri could see that Anton was lying. His eyes stayed firm on Christian however, and he squirmed under Anton's gaze. "So, do you know why she left? Family troubles…perhaps?"

"Subtle, Dad." Dimitri snapped, stepping forward to grab Christian. "Stop bothering my friend and get back to your life's purpose- drinking yourself to death."

"You treat me with respect boy!" Anton growled, throwing the empty can of Lager at his son, missing his head by millimetres. "I may have loss use of my legs, but I can still kick your bony ass."

"This probably isn't worth mentioning- it's not really worth another frown line on that already crowded forehead of yours," Dimitri began rudely, "But wouldn't you need functioning legs to kick my ass? Last time I checked you couldn't even wriggle you toes, never mind kick my sweet posterior ."

Anton chuckled, but not as if he was amused, more like he laughed because if he didn't he would have destroyed and killed his son. He took a dry, cracked lip in mouth and bit hard, trying desperately hard to get his rude opinions to himself. His eyes snapped away from the tall boy, and he set then upon his nervous, dark friend. "I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Ozera." He said roughly. "I'm just curious, is all."

"If you don't mind me asking," Christian said slowly, snapping his eyes to Dimitri every few seconds. "Why are you curious, Sir?"

"Told you not to call me that, boy." He replied angrily. "The name's Anton. And…Mazur and I just go way back…I'd like to meet his daughter."

"Your Abe's friend?" Christian asked sceptically, and his already dubious feelings toward Anton increased and he suddenly felt alarmed in being in the presence of the old man. There was no way that a man who was normal could have so many scars and act the way he did. Christian kept telling himself that maybe Anton got his scars and paralysed legs in the so called 'accident' that he had been. It was blatantly clear that Anton was an alcoholic, and maybe that was due his divorce and other hardships in life, but Christian doubted it. Christian labelled him as an abusive, secretly twisted and grotesque man with one sole purpose to find out information, and his goal was pointed towards Rose. "Yeah, I'm sorry but you won't be meeting Rose."

Anton looked momentarily looked shocked, but he raised his eyebrow and his mouth twisted into an aberrant, sordid sneer. "You sure about that, son?"

* * *

_Okay, so we've met Dimitri's daddy? Tell me your opinions and stuff!_

OHH IMPORTANT- _I've added what the characters look like in my mind, like bad boy Dimitri, Edgy Tasha, on my profile so make sure to check those out! x)_

_Thanks for your reviews, I love you guys so much!_

_Valdeh= BEST beta ever to exsist. xoxo  
_


	8. Chapter 8

**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The orginal content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

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_HEYA! Here I am.. back.. with another update :) I think this is the fastest update so far haha! But I have good news, my AMAZING beta Valdeh had chapter nine edited and all, if that isn't detication, I don't know what is :') loveya girl! Okay guys, so I hope you enjoy the chapter and please do not forget to review :D xoxo _

**Chapter Songs**

_**Who Knew- P!nk (I'm hoping you know how this works, a song for each POV?)_

_**Alejandro- Lady Gaga_

_** Don't you want me- Glee version (If you wish, you can use The Human League which is the orginal version, I just like Glees one better ahaha! xD)_

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**Chapter Eight- **Nothing to lose

**"Dogs never bite me. Just humans."~ Marilyn Monroe  
**

_**Christian…**_

Christian knew as he traipsed through the lashing, wet streets that he should have accepted the ride that Dimitri had offered. Rain, falling heavily in fat messy drops, smacked across his black hair and across his afflicted face, dripping down until they were lost in his dark clothes. His drunken buzz was annoyingly beginning to disperse and he felt heavy, his soaking clothes adding more weight to his already sloppy, oppressed form. Hands, lost in the pockets of his tight jeans, he continued to think of the blonde beauty that hadn't left his mind.

He subdued the dam of tears infecting his red, bloodshot eyes. The talk with Dimitri had alleviated his pain, slightly; he knew that his best friend was right. Christian knew that it was unethical and probate to even _consider_ leaving his sister, especially because she had endured so much pain throughout the year, but he couldn't help the agonizingly, excruciating pain and he couldn't help but feel the urge to vanish so that he wouldn't have to see her, day after day after day. The thought of that alone, sent shockwaves of aching pain through his soaking body.

Cars passed him on the street, ignorant drivers honking the horns as he crossed the road. He kept his head down, sheltering his blurry, burning eyes and crossed many streets, ignoring the constant piercing blasts from the car horns. Through the many images escalating through his insubstantial mind, one kept arising and causing jolts of shock and apprehension to spread through his stomach and heart. Anton Belikov had made it obviously clear that he was interested in Rose. He had admitted being in acquaintance with Abe Mazur, and that alone gave Christian a reason to distrust him. It was extremely suspicious how he had been Dimitri's friend for a little over a year, and yet, he had never set eyes upon the alcoholic trapped in the wheelchair, and for the first time, he think he understood why- Anton Belikov was not a nice man, and Dimitri didn't want that revealed.

Christian continued to run many possibilities through his brain, analysing each scenario as he thought about the macabre, twisted old man. An image of Dimitri's angry face came into Christian's focus, and immediately he was brought dubious thoughts of how entwined his friend was in all this. Was Dimitri going to do something to hurt Rose? The possibility seemed improbable and far-fetched, but it wasn't impossible. It was all so perplexing, especially since Christian had a weary suspicion that Dimitri was beginning to get used to Rose, perhaps even begin to like her. He couldn't label his friend as a sinister man who had plans on hurting an innocent girl, but there was no denying that Dimitri had heard of his father's interest before, and he wasn't doing anything about it.

Quite frankly, Christian was worried for Rose.

He continued to sob in the streets, head bowed as he walked towards the tall block of apartments where probably a frightened Tasha and a controlled Rose sat. He took a deep breath and put a hand in his drenched hair, shaking it in between his fingers as splashes of water hit the walls next to him. He took off his dripping jacket and opened the door, twisting the fabric in his hand as he squeezed out all the water, leaving the jacket damp instead of soaking. He walked up the stairs, wet footprints tailing behind his moving form, and before he would have liked; his sticker- clad door came into sight. He could hear the unmistakable sound of girls talking and low music as it escaped through the cracked door. He exhaled slowly, looking around the hallway first, preparing himself for what he was about to receive. He lifted his pale hand and twisted the door, almost wincing as the heavy door creaked with his push.

The chattering girls stopped, both of their heads snapped around. He looked at Rose first, whose eyes were wide in shock her mouth slack, after he took in her appearance, he braced himself as he looked at his twin sister. Her short, boyish hair was messy and out of control, her eyes bright red and her nose rosy. Her lips and chin were trembling, and she brought a tattooed hand to her mouth as she looked at her brother in shock. Christian walked towards her, and he was pretty sure that he was out of the hook for scaring her. She jumped up from the couch and pulled at the hem of her 'Dixie Chicks' T-Shirt, watching her brother as he crossed the room.

It didn't take her more than two seconds before she grabbed a white cushion perched on the couch, and started beating the shit out of her brother. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" She cried, smacking the pillow around his soaking head. Her hits were feeble but Christian knew that she was upset.

"I'm sorry!" Christian said, trying to rip the fat marsh-mellow like pillow from her tight grasp, but she was stronger than she looked.

"You could have called." She continued, her words cracking as tears exploded from her icy eyes. "Lissa told me you were _gone_, Christian! I thought you went back to mom and dad- don't do that to me ever again!"

"Wait, wait…" Christian said, taking hold of the pillow. "You talked to Lissa?"

"Yes, asshole, I did!" Tasha yelled, years exploding from her eyes as she pulled the fat pillow from his grasp. "You know, a call would have been nice. I was worried sick; Rose had to literally hold me to stop me from going out there to look for you!"

"I told you I was sorry, Tasha!" Christian said sadly, taking his sisters shoulders in his hands before wrapping his arms around her in an embrace. He pressed his lips to her messy, black crop. "I'm sorry, Tasha, I'm so sorry."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest, inhaling deeply in relief. She had calmed down considerably now that she had her brother in her arms. "Are you okay?" She asked sadly, feeling selfish that she had attacked him when he was so upset- the pain he was feeling was ten times stronger than the agony that Tasha had felt.

"I've been better," He muttered into her hair, swaying her slightly in his arms. "But I'll get over it."

His eyes snapped to Rose when she stood up and strolled over to him, wearing pyjamas and a cute smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around the twins, her eyes filled with traitorous tears. No one spoke for a long time until Tasha backed away, cursing under her breath. Rose left his embrace, and he looked at her slightly before walking towards his sister who had her hands lost in her short hair.

"Are you…okay?" Christian asked softly, watching his distressed sister pace. His eyes fell upon Rose who had a knowing look upon her pretty face, a spark in her eye as she realized something. "What's wrong?"

"Shit, Christian…" Tasha muttered her voice panicked and weary as she paced the kitchen. "You have to promise me, okay? Promise me that you _won't_ freak out until I tell you the full story."

Christian looked between the two girls, his eyes snapping quickly and apprehensively. He swallowed deeply as he looked at Tasha's guilty eyes and Rose's sympathetic ones. "What is it?"

"Promise me, Chris." Tasha charged as she fiddled with her fingers, and her feet shifting continuously on the floor.

He looked between them again before exhaling. Fear bounced inside of him, and his hands became sweaty as he gazed at his worried sister and friend. "Okay, promise."

"Okay…okay…" Tasha whispered to herself, continuing to fiddle with her fingers and thumbs. "Ah, well when I was in the bathroom last night at 'The Court' and, ah, I was breaking up a fight between Rose and Avery…" Christian snapped his gazed worriedly at Rose who shook her head at him and looked back at Tasha. He assessed her once and looked back at his sister. "And uh, things got pretty intense and I was _really_ pissed of at Avery….and uh…" She ran a shaky hand through her hair. "Please don't be mad, but Lissa came in and she was crying, Rose tried to help her but I couldn't…and after she told me that you were _leaving_- I couldn't take it! And I hit her, really hard."

Everything fell silent. Even the constant patter of the water faucet didn't dare make a noise as Christian glared at his sister, who squirmed under his heavy scowl. "You…hit her?"

Tasha stayed quiet for a long time before stepping forward, hands forward. "I'm sorry Christian, believe me, I regret it!" Tasha truthfully cried. "She's okay, we brought her home and Rose walked her to the door!"

Christian snapped his gaze to Rose who kept his strong glare, but looked a little sheepish. He averted his gaze and resisted the overwhelming urge to growl and scream at his sister. He exhaled a shaky breath and leant against the wall, tilting his head to calm himself down. Imagining Lissa with bruises all over her angelic face sent worry and anger through his disgusted body. He knew there was only thing left to do.

"I have to go to her." He said, turning his back to walk away from Rose and Tasha.

"Are you serious?" Tasha scoffed angrily, feeling a bit shocked. "She humiliated you, and literally made an ass out of you in front of everyone! And you're going to crawl back to her?"

"I'm not crawling back, I'm seeing if she's okay!" Christian yelled, spinning around to glare at his twin. "I still love her, Tasha. I know I shouldn't expect you to know how love _feels_, but you have to understand that I need to see her."

"If you need to make sure she's okay, call her." Rose spoke up, giving a nonchalant shrug as she leant against the kitchen counters. "You go back to her, and she'll have you wrapped around her finger again. She'll come to you if she wants it to work."

Christian, who was still dripping wet, stood in the middle of the living room, hands in pockets as he contemplated his options. He knew that Rose was right, no matter how ugly the truth was, or how much it hurt it didn't distort that fact that she was right, and that he needed to listen to her. He exhaled and hurried towards the phone, dialling the number that he had learned off by heart. The phone rang for a while before the line was cut dead. It didn't go straight to voicemail, so her phone wasn't turned off, but Christian was willing to bet that the signal was messing up his call.

"Stupid fucking weather!" Christian growled before slamming the phone down. "It won't let me get through to her…"

"Call back in the morning, Chris." Tasha said, sitting down on the couch, wrapping an afghan around her skinny shoulders. Christian took one look at the phone, worry and apprehension pumping through his veins and mind. He exhaled and looked at the two girls before storming into his bedroom to get changed. He kept imaging a frightened Lissa, curled into a ball with bruises and cuts plastering her beautiful face, her gorgeous, breath taking eyes watery as she sat alone. He couldn't stand it, he physically felt sick. In a rage, he lifted the closest thing to him, and threw it at the wall. It might have been a slight over reaction, but Christian didn't care. Knowing that the girl he loved was in pain cut him like a thousand knives, and it was agonizing knowing that he couldn't do anything about it. One side of him, the weak side, wanted to run to Lissa and tell her that she completely owned him, but the other side, the proud side, said no. He didn't want to go back, he didn't want to feel the pain of not being good enough ever again.

He changed quickly and walked outside into the living room where Rose and Tasha sat, curled up together as they watched television. He sat down on the armchair and he continually fidgeted his leg moving up and down for the whole time that Rose and Tasha watched TV. He couldn't sit still, and he had to talk just to keep his mind away from the blonde beauty.

"I met Dimitri's dad tonight," He admitted seriously, grasping the two girls' attention immediately, "Weird fella."

"Really?" Rose said, her voice portraying great interest, and her whole body leaned forward as if she wanted to hear more. "What's he like?"

"Scary, and covered in scars." Christian stated, remembering his dark eyes and thick Russian accent. "Not nice to look at."

"Huh, that's funny…" Rose humped, leaning back as she scrunched her legs up to her chest and crossed her arms.

"What is?" He asked in return, noticing how Tasha's lips lifted in a smile at Rose's words.

"Well, it's just that Dimitri is _really_…nice to look at." Rose said with a shrug, her eyes chatoyant. "I mean, I just assumed that…"

"His father would be just as hot as he is?" Tasha chuckled, her eyes bright as she gazed at her friend. "You thought he would be a DILF ."

Rose shrugged, but before she could reply to Tasha, Christian cut in. "Yeah, well he knows Abe."

Rose stopped whatever she was going to say and stared at Christian, her eyes calculating and slick, "As in…friends?"

"I'm not sure, but he said they went 'way back'," He replied, watching her brilliant eyes glow. "But he seemed pretty interested in meeting you."

"_Me_?" Rose squeaked, pointing a finger towards her chest, "Why me?"

"Because you're Abe's daughter, and that obviously caught his interest…" Christian was silent for a while watching as Rose's wide eyes flickered around the room as different thoughts progressed through her mind. "He was alright at first, but he just seems…wrong, to me. Stay away from him, Rose."

"Trust me, if he's anything like Abe, I won't be going near him." Rose said seriously, watching the television again. All fell silent, and although everything was quiet, he could tell that the two girls' minds were anything but mute. He could almost see the thoughts pass through his sisters and friends eyes, watching as theories and fears ran wildly through their conscience.

It stayed that way for a long while, but eventually the silence was destroyed when a loud, buzzing noise came from beside Tasha. She looked behind her and looked at her cell phone, which was vibrating wildly causing the phone to move around the table. Tasha lifted her black device and looked at it, a small smile rising on her lips as she read the message. She began replying, but looked up questionably, a cautious look in her bright eyes.

"What?" She asked, tucking the black object into her sleeve.

"I know that look…" Rose said; her voice strained as she tried to hold in her excitement. "C'mon Tasha, tell me who it is!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tasha said, her voice rising in pitch as she held out her hands in a false nonchalance. She stood up and started strolling towards the kitchen where she poured herself a glass of water. She took a long drink, as if she was thinking of what to say next. "It's no one."

Rose looked at Christian, sparks in her eyes. "She's lying. Almost every two seconds, she's been looking at her phone and I've had enough of staying quiet!" She choked, standing up to circle around Tasha, like a lion would before it attacked. "Who's the girl that has you smiling like a fool?"

"No one!" Tasha said with a laugh and she tried to dodge Rose. Although Tasha's tone was playful, Christian could see the fear clear in her eyes and she obviously didn't want anyone to know- that caught Christian's interest more than anything.

"So I'm going to have to beat it out of you, huh?" Rose said, just before she ran and jumped on Tasha. Tasha screamed and kicked her off, keeping her phone tight in her hands as she dodged Rose's quick hands. The two girls ran around each other, one playful and one panicked. Just as Tasha was running around the kitchen island, Rose not far behind her, Christian stood up and wrapped his sister in his toned arms, keeping her locked in his iron hold. She squirmed in his embrace, frantically waving her legs and arms.

"No, don't Rose!" Tasha screeched in panic. She screamed everywhere when Rose ripped the phone from her grip.

Rose's eyes were light as she read the message. "All it says is 'okay', and then there's a little heart…why were you freaking out about that?" Rose smirked, looking at Tasha, her eyes light. She bent her head again as she reread the message, and suddenly her light attitude left causing her eyes to go dark and macabre. Her knuckles whitened as her grip on the phone tightened and she looked up at Tasha, rage in her eyes.

"Why are you texting Sonya Belikov?"

Tasha lifted her arm and smacked Christian, tears started to spread through her amazing eyes. Christian dropped her immediately, just as shocked as Rose had been, and allowed her to walk to Rose.

"Those are _my_ messages, okay?" Tasha growled, snapping the phone from Rose's loose grip. "You know what it's like to have your privacy deprived, so don't do it to me. Fucks sake Rose!"

"So you're just going to ignore my question?" Rose asked; her eyes wide in shock and her mouth slack. "Are you…dating her?"

"You know, I think it's fucking _hilarious_ that just because I'm gay, everyone assumes that every single fucking girl I talk to is some chick I'm dating!" Tasha said angrily, stomping towards her door. "If I _was_ dating her, it has fuck all to do with you, okay? She's not even gay!"

"Why do you sound upset over that?" Christian muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort.

"You know what, both of you can go fuck yourselves." Tasha growled, storming into her room and slamming the door. From behind the chunk of wood separating the friends, Rose and Christian could hear her throwing things and breathing extremely heavily as she took the mother of all hissy fits. Objects were slammed against the door, and Christian could hear her soft whimpers whenever he stayed silent. Rose looked at him in shock, her hand shaking slightly as she averted her gaze to stare at Tasha's graffiti door. He could see the fear in her eyes, the fear of hurting her friend.

"Shit, I didn't think she'd get upset over it." Rose said apologetically, wringing her hands she walked closer to Tasha's bedroom door. "Tasha….Tasha, I'm sorry, I didn't know that you'd freak out like that."

Everything was silent as a quiet Rose leaned against the door frame, her head bowed, eventually Tasha stepped out of the bedroom her face red and her eyes bloodshot. "You have no excuse Rose, maybe I'm over-reacting, but _you_ hated it when Abe gave you no privacy. Don't do it to me, if I wanted to tell you- I would."

"I don't see what the big deal is!" Rose yelled, stepping back from the doorway to look at her friend. Christian stood far away and watched the conversation, keeping a close eye on the two girls in case any trouble broke out. "So what if you're texting Sonya? It's strange, yeah, but it's not a big deal."

"To you, maybe not." Tasha muttered leaning against the wall, her breathing heavy and her tattooed hand shaking. "Just…just keep this news to yourself, okay?

Rose couldn't give a reply, because just as she went to open her mouth a group of loud, boisterous knocks vibrated from the door, the four bangs attracted everyone's attention, their heads snapping towards the wooden door. Christian looked at the door and then at Rose and his sister who looked even more confused than he felt- who would be calling at this time?

Rose shrugged and ran a hand through her long, beautiful hair before sauntering towards the door. She opened it immediately, and as she stood there, her hand dropped as she gazed at the girl standing outside, soaked through to her skin, blonde hair dripping, nose and eyes roaring red.

"Lissa?" Rose asked, opening the door widely for the stunning girl to walk through, looking extremely uncomfortable. Her cheek was swollen and her eye was bruised, but even when she was covered in these grotesque bruises, she looked stunning.

"Oh fuck." Tasha growled before turning around and storming into her bedroom. She didn't slam her door, but Christian could hear her as she paced her room.

He couldn't quite get over the fact that Lissa Dragomir stood before him, dripping wet with beautiful eyes and a heavy-hearted expression on her angelic face. The bruises sent a pang to Christian's heart, but he couldn't move his feet to step towards her. Rose closed the door tight, and with an uncomfortable aura, she walked into Tasha's bedroom, the room that she shared with his sister.

"Christian…" Lissa whispered softly, taking a step forward, her drenched body creating a pool on the floor. Christian left her standing in the middle of the living room as he went into the bathroom to get her a towel. He flung it at her limp stance, and looked away feeling ashamed and hurt that he couldn't step forward and wrap his arms around her. She looked away and wrapped it around her shaking shoulders. "I'm so sorry Christian."

He looked at her, realizing that they were alone in the living room. He wanted to talk. "Sorry that I broke it off in front of all your 'friends' or that you've treated me like a dick for the past couple of months?

"That I've hurt you." She admitted, taking a step closer to the dark haired boy, who in response took a step back. "You just…you just don't understand, Christian."

"How do you know I won't understand, Lissa?" Christian yelled, frustration pumping through his veins, creating venomous thoughts in his toxic mind. "You haven't even had the decency to explain it to me, so how do you know!"

"You don't understand the people that I'm friends with, Christian!" She choked, taking another step closer, her eyes filling with tears. "How could I even _begin_ to explain? If any of them found out you and I were dating, they would make our lives a living hell, and you know it."

"I don't care about any of that." He groaned; his head tilting back as he tried to calm himself down. He looked at her again when he was confident that he wouldn't put her through a wall. "I just wanted to be with you Lissa. I don't care about what your so called friends think. They couldn't make my life a living hell, because I'd be with you, Lissa. It's all I want- to be with you."

Lissa looked at him, her stunning jade green eyes thick with pain and torment. She wrapped her arms around herself before walking towards the tall boy, placing her hands on one of his folded arms. "I want to be with you too." She admitted, joy slightly breaking through her stricken eyes. "I'm sorry that I humiliated you, and that I've ignored you. You're not someone that should be hidden; I love you Christian, and I'm fed up keeping you away."

"What?" Christian muttered, unfolding his arm to take place a hand under her chin. Her tilted her chin up and looked deep into her eyes.

"I'm fed up keeping you away."

"No, no…not that," He said, breaking into a huge smile as he wrapped his arm around her slim body. "You love me?"

Lissa looked away shyly before raising her lips into a cute, soft smile, her white teeth gleaming through her outstanding grin. "Yeah, I do."

Christian looked at her once, before moving his head to press his lips against hers. He wrapped his arms around her like he couldn't bear to leave her again and he inhaled her intoxicating scent - the kiss was so much, but somehow still not enough. He moaned into her soft lips, opening his mouth to tease her lips with his tongue, she gave him entry and their tongues touched, causing Christian to shiver in pleasure. His hand travelled up her spine and became lost in her soaking hair, their chests lifted and fell so heavily and quickly as they tried to taste as much of each other as possible. Christian tore his wanting lips from hers, and rested his forehead against hers, his breathes leaving his mouth harshly. He pressed a soft, beautiful kiss on her forehead before kissing in a soft trail to her ear where he whispered, "I love you too."

**XoX**

_**Dimitri…**_

A beam of bright sunlight split through Dimitri's curtain, the sharp rays of light slicing through the room to cut Dimitri, stinging his eyes as he sat up. His head was banging in agony as his father repeatedly called his name. "BOY!" Anton Belikov bellowed. "I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU AGAIN, GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!"

Dimitri groaned as he stood up and walked to his drawers, where he lifted out a pair of grey track bottoms sliding the up his long legs, he didn't put a shirt or shoes on. He strolled out of his bedroom, ignoring the freezing ground on his bare feet as he yawned and stretched, his hand reaching down to itch the trail from his belly button to the top of his track bottoms that he had just put on. His left arm, which he had lifted to stretch, dropped when he saw his father's angry face, stuck in his chair as he sat next to the tall, elegant Avery Lazar.

"About time." His father growled, his thick arms clenching tightly onto the dirty wheels of his chair as he wheeled himself forward. "I would appreciate if you took this outside, I don't welcome the possibility of you fucking this girl inside my house."

Dimitri rolled his eyes and Avery gasped in shocked, glaring at Anton as if he had six heads. Dimitri's father forced his piercing gaze on the two teenagers before wheeling himself into the living room, where he slammed the door, a slight grunt leaving his lips as he made the effort of twisting his body to push it with force. Dimitri released a sigh and looked at Avery whist he rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes were still adjusting to the harsh light, so it took him a while to detect the purple bruises on her beautiful face. Once he looked fully at the disgusting distortion, he scrutinized her red, swollen lip and her dark, purple eye.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare?" She complained, putting a hand on her hip. Dimitri could tell from the one eye that he could actually see, that she was trying to distract from the fact that she looked hideous.

"No," He stated, putting his hands up to cover his vision. "I'm afraid if I stare too long, you might pass on some of that ugly you got going on there."

"Belikov!" She cried, stomping a high heeled foot on his cheap wooden floor. "This isn't _funny_!"

"You're right, it isn't funny," He chuckled softly, "It's hilarious."

"Belikov!" She cried, repeating her earlier yell. "_It's_ _not_ _fucking_ _funny_! This is your fault!" She cried, pointing a blood red finger at her unsymmetrical face. "If you had of just let me confront that bitch sooner, she wouldn't have been given the chance to do this!"

Dimitri was silent for a long time as he registered her sentence. "Wait…Rose did this to you?"

Avery glared at him and he could see the embarrassment stitched in her features. "Yes, she did, okay?" She muttered, bowing her head as she looked at the floor. Her head snapped up, and her visible eye pinned Dimitri to the wall as her dark pupil, framed by glittering grey, pierced him. "The deal is over Dimitri. I'm going to tell _everyone_ about that skank."

"That isn't a good idea," Dimitri muttered, folding his arms across his muscled chest, protecting his robust body from the chilly morning air. "Why did she punch you, again?"

"Because I threatened the stupi-"

"Exactly," Dimitri began taking a step forward to the foul girl. "She hit you for _threatening_ her, imagine what she'll do if you expose her. I don't have to fully understand Rose to know that she will eradicate you."

"I don't care!" She yelled, stomping closer to Dimitri. "I just want to get her back. I don't care what the consequences are, okay? I want to make that bitch the most hated thing to step into St. Vladimir's."

Dimitri exhaled loudly and shrugged his shoulders, looking at the bruised girl before him. "She won't be hated because she's an addict, Lazar." Dimitri chuckled half-heartedly. "If _anything_, you'll probably just hand her a new reputation as a NYC badass."

"Suck me, Belikov."

"Spread your legs and I will."

Avery growled angrily and turned to storm out of his house, her hips wiggling in the process. He watched her perky ass as she sauntered, enjoying the fact that she was still trying to impress him even though she was undeniably infuriated with him. She turned around with her tanned hand on the wooden doorknob and stared at Dimitri, "I'm still going to tell everyone." She stated ferociously. "I'll give you until Friday to find out new information, or you can kiss goodbye to any ties you had with me."

"I'm not desperate," Dimitri growled, "Don't think you hold anything over my head, Lazar."

"What? I don't mean anything to you?" She said, arching her eyebrow as if she expected Dimitri to profess his love. He leaned against the wall and laughed loudly, his body pushed against the wall for support. She watched him, her grey eyes cunning and duplicitous as she folded her arms and waited patiently for his response. He took a step towards her, a silver chain, and black rosary beads falling down his tanned, muscled chest, falling between a crease separating his pecks, eventually leading down to a stimulating six pack. Avery didn't want to reveal just how much he affected her, so she tightened her legs and kept her face mutual, waiting for Dimitri to speak. Eventually he laughed again and took a step forward; the tracks that rode low on his defined, sexy hip fell slightly as his foot lifted up off the floor to move closer to her, exposing a delicious V shape of muscle snaking up from his trousers.

"You mean less than nothing," Dimitri chuckled truthfully, "You were something on the side, something I used when I needed to blow off steam when I couldn't be assed to look for someone hotter."

"You're a dickhead, you know that?" Avery barked, her eye that wasn't swollen was slowly building up with tears, and her folded arms that once had signified how confident she was, were beginning to shake as her poise dissolved, and crumbled to the floor with the rest of her nerves.

"Like you can say anything," He replied smartly, "You toss around guys like used tissues, and you're pissed that I wouldn't provide you with the opportunity to do the same to me."

"Go fuck yourself, Belikov," She cried, slamming the door. Rage sketched her face like an ugly paint, and her eye glowed in anger and ire, her lips contorting into a hideous growl. "You're going to regret fucking with me, Dimitri."

"It's a not surprise that you think that," He replied before turning his back to her, "Fucking you is the closest thing I can imagine to torture. So do yourself a favour and get the fuck out of my house before I move you myself."

Dimitri turned his back to her and continued on to his bedroom, ignoring the sound of Avery's cry as she left the house, causing the glass windows to shake as she slammed the door with all the force she had. After he heard Avery's car leave, he strolled into the bathroom and stripped, turning on the water as he stepped inside, the hot liquid relaxing his tight muscles. He would have expected to feel some dissatisfaction towards Avery's departing, but he felt nothing. The only thing running through his mind was Rose and what she had done to the stupid slut he had just ditched. He knew that she could defend herself, but he couldn't help the protective feelings he felt towards her- he didn't know what it was that made a piece of him light up when he thought of her, and he didn't question it. Although he told Christian that he hadn't an inch of remorse in the hard body of his, he recognized the feelings of shame and anguish that pumped through his veins when he thought of her past being exposed. Dimitri knew that the only thing Rose had wanted by coming to Los Angeles was to start afresh and to forget the past that she was haunted by.

He squirted some shower gel into his hand and began rubbing it onto his muscled abdomen and hard chest, the smell of sharp spices entering his lungs, filling him with relaxation. He continued to think of Rose, and soon his worrying thoughts changed direction as he imagined her silky, flowing locks, her long, luscious legs, and her beautiful face. He knew that he shouldn't have been thinking about her, but he couldn't help it. He was meant to _hate_ this girl. He found it extremely funny that he had spoken to the girl roughly around four times, and yet his mind was full of thoughts that solely revolved around her.

He groaned in annoyance as he lathered his hair in shampoo. He didn't want to think about her the way he did. It wasn't what Dimitri Belikov did, what Dimitri Belikov _did_ do was smoke with no conscience, drink with no conscience and womanize with no conscience. He didn't think. He didn't contemplate. He didn't ponder. He did what he did, and he didn't muse about what it was he was actually doing- that was life. It was different, having her on his mind. By no means did he want to be in a relationship with her, as far as Dimitri was concerned, he wasn't going to be in any relationships, ever, but he still thought fondly about Rose from time to time.

He stepped out of the shower, and wrapped a soft white towel around his waist tightly, as he walked out of the bathroom into the freezing hallway. The steam followed him as he strolled into his bedroom, trickles of water sliding down his soft yet rock hard skin, a particularly fat drop that fell from his soaking hair left a trail down his tanned torso, trickling over his bumpy, six-packed stomach, the drop getting lost in the clean, white towel. He untied it, and let it fall to floor before getting dressed in jeans and a black V-neck shirt. Once he was satisfied, he towel dried his hair before stepping out of his plain bedroom.

His boots made a distinct noise as he walked past the living room; he expected his father's call before he heard it. "Dimka?" The old man grunted his Russian accent prominent and demanding. Dimitri exhaled and turned to face the wooden door, he resisted the urge to growl as he reached out and clamped his tanned hand around the doorknob, twisting it gruesomely as though he was picturing his hand as he twisted his father's heart. Once the door flung open, Dimitri stepped inside and glared at his father.

"What?" He growled angrily, folding his arms over his chest, the leather of his jacket rubbing together as his muscled arms crossed.

The scarred, old man sat in his wheelchair like ever, and in his hand was a can of beer. The floor was cluttered with empty cans, and the old man stank out the room. He wheeled over to his son, keeping his beer in between in paralysed legs as though he were afraid it would drop. "Where you going, boy?" Anton asked curiously, his intimidating, rough voice cracked as he strained to speak. His pupils were dilated and were framed by red, uneven lines, as his eyes were bloodshot. Dimitri didn't doubt for one second that the man had stayed up all night.

"Christian's place." Dimitri stated without thinking; it was the first place that came to his mind.

"Mhmm." The old man murmured incoherently, his eyes sceptical. The scar that sliced through his eyes wrinkled as his father's face scrunched up. "You're going to see that pretty little girl? What's her name…? Ruth? Rebecca?"

"Rose." Dimitri growled angrily, "And no, I'm not. Stop asking me questions."

Anton chuckled patronizingly, glaring at his son with eyes that could have belonged to an eagle in a previous life. "One more question boy, that'll do." He chortled, lifting the beer from between his legs to take a large guzzle. Some of the brown liquid spilled down his chin and became lost in his ragged beard. The old man did nothing to move it. "I overheard that argument. You've been getting information about Rose for your slut. So…tell me, why are you finding information for _her_ and not your old man?"

"Because Avery isn't a drunken asshole with a death wish," Dimitri stated, picking up a beer can in the cooler that sat next to the television. He cracked it open and took a large drink, letting the cold liquid sooth his throat. "Rose won't have any information on Mazur, so leave her out of this. You're going to get yourself in trouble."

Anton chortled repeatedly, resulting in large coughs to irrupt from his mouth. His lips opened wide enough for Dimitri to see ragged, yellow teeth and some gaps were his once white teeth used to be. He continually chuckled, taking breaks only to light up a cigarette and take large mouthfuls of his drink. Dimitri couldn't look anymore, he turned his back and without an explanation he progressed towards the door, digging his hand into his jeans to find his motorcycle keys. Once he found them, he jogged down the steps to climb on his gorgeous black machine, kicking his leg over it as he clamped the clutch, starting the engine immediately as he surged out of his old home, and onto the main road, avoiding honking cars that had stopped abruptly to dodge his darting bike. Dust trailed behind him as he became lost in the onslaught of cars, driving madly to Christian's apartment.

He didn't know what he was going to do once he arrived, probably warn him about Avery- but that wasn't his main thought. For some unclear reason, Lissa was. He remembered how distraught Christian had been the night before, and using Christian as an example, Dimitri swore to himself that he would _never_ fall for a girl. He saw no reason for falling in love; when at the end of the day, everyone ends up alone. He was protecting himself from heartbreak and pain, he didn't see it as weak, he saw it as smart. He wasn't going to go and fall for some girl so that he could end up devastated by the end of it. He was happy the way he was- alone, emotionless.

He finally parked outside the large block of Christian, Tasha and Rose's apartment. He looked at the tall building before climbing off his bike, his thick boots hitting the gravel as he took large footsteps towards the front door. He jogged up the stairs, taking two at a time before he came into vision of their black door, covered in ridiculous stickers. Dimitri chuckled as he looked at each sticker, which revolved around the subjects of being either gay or an outcast. He smiled as his hand reached out to pull at the door, opening it to reveal an empty apartment, clattered in mess.

He stepped inside and closed the door, looking around for the sign of anyone. He couldn't see anything but eventually, after standing in the hallway for a few minutes he heard the distinct noise of clanging plates and a soft voice singing. He smirked as he ambled forward, exploring the scenery of the kitchen, enjoying the sight of Rose in perky black shorts, a tight tank top and bright yellow gloves, washing the dishes as she sang aimlessly to some incoherent song.

"Where's Christian?" He asked, stepping into the kitchen smiling broadly, as she let out a cute squeak, almost jumping four feet into the air. "My, that was an attractive sound."

"Hey," She breathed heavily, leaning against the sink. "Ah, he's out with Lissa." Drops of water fell from her yellow gloves and trickled down her long, tanned legs causing Dimitri to clear his throat and adjust his trousers. He quickly scanned the thought of Christian and Lissa together, but ignored it as he watched Rose's delicate hand rub her eyes. "You scared me."

Dimitri watched as her pretty chest began to rise and fall in deep breaths. He took a confident step forward and with each step closer, he could see her eyes widen and breathing increase. "I can tell that my presence alone renders you incapable of uttering anything other than incoherent breathes," He purred, looking at her from her bare feet, up her beautiful body and into her stunning, captivating eyes. "Don't blame you're little squeak on anything other than your immoral desire to have me."

She ripped one of the yellow gloves from her soft hands and smacked his shoulder with it, her lip caught in her teeth as she continually beat him. Dimitri couldn't help but let out a loud, cheerful laugh as she repeatedly whipped him with the rubber glove, a feral growl on her face. She smiled after a while, and soon enough both of them were laughing. "You're an ass, Dimitri Belikov."

"You like my ass?" He purred suggestively, "No surprise there, it has been mentioned as astonishingly delectable."

"Oh my god!" Rose chuckled playfully, hitting him one more time before sauntering out of the kitchen. He watched her hips sway as she strolled into the living room, he found it extremely sexy and provocative, playing with his mind more than he would have liked. She was the complete opposite of Avery, who purposely used her body as a weapon for seduction. Rose knew that she was beautiful, but it was _her_ body, not something that belonged to the many man whores all over the world, and for that, Dimitri gave her great respect.

She turned around and caught Dimitri looking at her hips and everything below. She spun a full hundred and eighty degrees to smirk at him, a hand on her beautiful hip. "Would it kill you to stop staring at my ass?"

"Staring and appreciating are vastly different concepts, Rose. I'm merely admiring the package in front of me." He teasingly flirted, giving her a saucy wink before lying down on her couch, putting a muscled arm behind his head. Her eyes widened slightly as they carefully scanned the slither of muscled, tanned stomach that was exposed, she seemed to eat up every inch of him, including his bare thick arms, and handsome face. "You wouldn't wear shorts that suggestive if you weren't craving attention from the male population." His eyes skimmed her beautiful, smooth legs as they bent slightly to give her balance as she leaned against the walls.

"I'm cleaning!" She choked, folding her arms as she covered the picture on the front of her tank top, which so happened to have NIRVANA printed on the front. Dimitri smiled in appreciation. "I didn't exactly plan on anyone seeing me this way! Stop being a cocky bastard for once and let me clean."

"Isn't confidence a huge turn on?" He asked, arching an eyebrow to match his irresistible smirk. Rose watched him, and she couldn't help the shiver that ran up her spine at the picture of his erotic eyes, gorgeous smirk and delicious body.

"Confidence is sexy. Cockiness? Not so much," She began, giving him a cute shrug as she tried to divert her obvious attraction. "It just draws attention to the fact that you're anything but confident, and are perhaps lacking in other departments…"

"I assure you, Roza," Dimitri purred, standing up as he walked to Rose's beautiful form, towering over her smallness, she stepped away from him, her eyes wide in shock as her back hit the wall, giving her no escape. He lifted his arms and caged her to the wall, both of his hands sprawled out against it, his arms trapping her in his muscled jail. He lowered his face until it was level with hers, and he noticed her fast breathing and her heated gaze. He couldn't help but press his pelvis straight into hers, "I lack _nothing_. In fact, I'm a bit of an over-achiever; my- other departments- are exceedingly blessed. It can be a burden at times, but I'm nothing if not endurable…I could show you, if you like?"

Rose gulped loudly and her scorching eyes gazed and searched directly into his. They moved side to side slightly as she hunted for any visible expressions on his face. The right side of his lips rose as he lifted them into a confident, sexy smirk, his eyes on fire as he gazed straight back at her. She swallowed loudly again, and lifted her hand to press it against his muscled chest. She enjoyed the feeling of heat that radiated from his body, and she loved the rough edged feeling over his sexy muscles. Dimitri watched her as she admired his body, feeling his trousers become slightly tighter than they were meant to be. He dropped his muscled arms, and allowed her to escape, but she made no move to leave, instead she looked at him, her beautiful brown doe eyes glittering as the light reflected at them. He searched them and noticed how one thin strand of hair fell across her beautiful face, a slight smile twitched on his lips as he reached out his hand and brushed the hair back, causing her breath to catch.

He cleared his throat and stepped back, folding his arms as she continued to assess him. "Why do you wear those?" She asked all of a sudden, looking at the jagged scar than ran from his hairline to his shoulder.

"Wear what?" He husked, staying in position, watching as Rose's stunning eyes skimmed his face, chest and neck.

"Those rosary beads." She said softly, her voice quite and serious. She didn't look into his eyes again, but Dimitri felt like he was under an examination table.

"I like them." He lied, lifting his shoulders in a sexy nonchalant shrug. Rose watched him skeptically before he turned away and began looking at the pictures all over the walls. They were all photographs that Tasha had took with her amazing photography skills, pictures of Christian on a skateboard, a close up of the twins as they posed and just pretty scenes. Dimitri had no doubt that within the next few weeks; the apartment would be covered in pictures of Rose too.

"Okay…I see." Rose sighed, and he could hear her bare feet patting against the cold floor. "If you're going to stay here for a while, you might as well help with the dishes. I wash, you rinse and dry."

She walked into the kitchen and put the yellow gloves on her, creating thousands of fantasies to pass through his defiled mind. He removed his arms from his signature leather jacket, and tossed it across the red couch, not even glancing at it as he promenaded towards her, his eyes stuck on her small form. He smirked as she handed him a black drying cloth covered in multi-coloured skulls. Rose shrugged and continued to wash the dishes, Dimitri rinsing and drying next to her. He shortly caught glance of a sparkly chain hanging around her neck and with further observation; he realized what it was.

"You like 'Nirvana'?" Dimitri asked surprised, looking at the necklace, which was obviously a piece of Nirvana merchandise, matching her top perfectly.

"What?" Rose turned her head to look at him, her eyes full of confusion. Dimitri lifted a wet hand and pointed at her chest, where the silver necklace lay. "Oh, that. Well, this is Tasha's, but yeah, I do." She said with a beautiful smirk on her face.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow and threw the wet tea towel across the wet dishes, turning his back on Rose as he walked into the living room.

"Hey!" She yelled loudly, dropping the plate she had in her hands, the sound of ceramics hitting across metal vibrated through the almost empty apartment. "We haven't finished these yet."

"We'll do them later," He smirked, and Rose couldn't help but glance at how his eyes glowed as he watched her, how the t-shirt he was wearing pressed against him, causing her breath to be short and panty. His eyebrow lifted in an arch and she could literally feel her underwear soak right through. She hated how he made her feel, but she couldn't deny it- she wanted Dimitri Belikov more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life. "I want to show you something."

"Please tell me it's not 'your other departments' you so kindly offered to show earlier." She joked, even though she wished so hard that he would show her...

"No, that's for later." He purred, giving her a sexy wink. "I want to show you something that isn't anywhere nearly as big, sexy and luscious as my dick."

Rose gasped, causing a full-blown grin to erupt from Dimitri's lips. He lifted up his leather jacket that was sprawled across the red couch, and he rummaged around the pockets until he found his black iPod. He tossed it through the air, and with amazing reflexes, she caught it, a cute smile breaking through her face. She tried to lift an eyebrow, failing miserably as she flicked through his small black device.

"You have really…good taste in music." She whispered, as if she didn't want Dimitri to hear that she had given him an actual compliment.

"Have I entered an alternate universe where Rose isn't a bitch?" Dimitri teased, watching her bright eyes scan his iPod filled with thousands of songs.

"Like you can call anyone a bitch."

"Hey, at least I can admit that I'm a bastard, you can do no such thing."

"Oh, I'd never thought I'd see the day where Dimitri Belikov admitted he wasn't God's gift." She giggled, looking up at him. "I better not blink, or I'll miss it."

"I'm admitting no such thing." He retorted with a purr, looking down on her. "I admitted that I was a bastard. Stop mixing my words and get over the fact that your crushing on God's gift."

"I'm not crushing on you." She said in all seriousness, her expression straight and emotionless. Dimitri would have felt for her charade had he missed the delightful glint in her eye. He smirked and continued to watch her.

"You and I both know that is a lie, Roza." He lured her with his slight accent and bright eyes as he took a step closer, his muscled arms sending erotic images to her mind as she recalled the moment where he had pinned her against the wall. She swallowed deeply. He pressed his hand right under her jaw, and tilted her face up towards his and she looked into his beautiful eyes as he glared down at her. "Just from your pulse alone, I can tell that my touch creates sinful, pornographic feelings and thoughts to travel through your body and mind. Correct me, if my presumption is inaccurate, though I highly doubt it is- I'm never wrong."

Rose, who usually had a smarter reply for every quip was left speechless. Many responses floated through her mind, but not one touched her tongue, her mind was far away from any pathetic answer. All she could concentrate on was the soft, gentle touch Dimitri had on her jaw, how his fingers were compassionate and pleasant on her skin, and how a series of shivers ran up her fragile spine and caused her hyper-aware body to rise in goose bumps.

"Don't you want to contradict me, Roza?" He whispered softly, lifting his rough hand to skim it across the bumpy skin of her shoulder. Different amount of emotions coursed through Dimitri as he watched her body shake as explosive shivers took over. He watched as her eyes flickered side to side, as if she was thinking intensively about something, he loved how he made her beautiful almond skin rise in goose bumps, and how he made her breath catch in her pretty throat.

Suddenly, she stopped and looked at him, her entrancing eyes catching him like a deer in headlights. She narrowed them slightly and with her teeth, she trapped her lower lip and tugged slightly, causing Dimitri's hand to shake, his pulse to rise and his charade to shatter. All he could picture in his mind was nipping those beautiful lips in between his teeth one day, and for that one moment, he wished he could. She pressed a small, soft hand against his hard chest for the second time and Dimitri tried with all his might to control his heartbeat, which thumped away at Rose's touch. She stood on her tippy toes until she was almost level with Dimitri's crouched form.

"You can turn this around on me all you like, pretty boy," She purred, her voice husky and seductive, slow. He imagined lifting her and taking her right there in the kitchen, a low feral growl escaping his mouth at the thought. "But when it all comes down to it, you, and I both know that it is _my_ touch that creates sinful, pornographic feelings and thoughts to travel through _your_ body and mind."

Dimitri's already tight trousers begged to be opened, but for the first time in his life, he resisted. His mouth lifted into a smirk and his hands grabbed her hips roughly where he crushed her right into the kitchen counters, pressing his hungry body to her panting one. Looking into her eyes, he knew that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, and that one look that was stitched onto her beautiful face was enough to assure Dimitri- He wanted Rose Hathaway, and he was going to have her.

**XXX**

_**Rose…**_

Before I even had time to contemplate what was going on, Dimitri lifted his sexy, bare arms and caged me against the cold counter tops. I didn't care that the cold marble pressed against my bare legs, and I didn't care that I had all these questions that needed answered. The only thing I care about was Dimitri's hands of which one was bonded tightly around my waist as he explored the bare skin under my t-shirt, and the other clamped tightly around my thigh as he inched my leg higher to wrap around his waist. His ferocious eyes were dark and thick with desire, his sexy, muscled chest fell and lifted with his hungry, lustful breathes. That suggestive, gorgeous eyebrow arched perfectly as he assessed my panting form. I didn't want to admit it, but there was no going back- Dimitri Belikov did things to me that no man had ever done before and I wanted him.

I lifted my arm and I clung to him, my limb clamping tightly around his neck as my other hand burrowed into his muscled back, possibly leaving huge cuts. He growled slightly and pressed himself into me as we clutched lightly to each other. No trace of the warmth and playfulness I had witness earlier was in his breath- taking eyes. There was only anger. Lust. Hunger.

"I'm offering you a chance to back away now," He breathed heavily, his chest brushing harshly against mine. His eyes glanced at my lips sharply before snapping them to my passionate eyes. "I'm an asshole, Rose- What you see is what you get, don't expect anything more."

I jumped slightly so that my other leg hoisted his muscled waist and leaned forward so close, my lips inches from his perfect mouth. My nose was level with his, and I couldn't help but inhale his intoxicating scent. I shivered, a tingle running up my spine. Dimitri released another vicious growl and spun around, caging me into a wall. He stayed in between my legs, but his hands moved from my thigh and waist and began roaming the rest of my super- aware body. Once his hand landed on my chest, I squirmed in pleasure against his rock hard body.

"I'm not expecting anything more…" I panted; my voice thick and breathy. Dimitri chuckled and locked his gaze on mine before snaking his muscled, incredibly sexy arms around my waist, pressing me further into his hard body. I moaned in anticipation, willing to beg for him to press his mouth to mine. His lips clamped onto my neck whilst his hands roamed my body, and tingles spread through the inside of my leg, causing me to shudder. He nipped and teased along my neck, towards my jaw and below my ear, my head bent back as I breathed heavily, as his mouth immediately took advantage of my bare skin. He continued the intoxicating, entrancing nibbles as his teeth and lips prodded my raw skin.

"Fucking kiss me already." I growled, tightening my legs around his waist. He let out a shaky breath before pressing his forehead against mine, his feral dark eyes, eyes that belonged to a warrior or dark lord in a past life stared deep into mine as his beautiful, exhilarating breath caressed my wanting lips. He offered no auto reply, instead he gave me so much more, moaning loudly, as he crashed his lips to mine.

His fists tightened in my hair as he curved in around me, trapping me effectively against the ivory, kitchen wall. I almost exploded with relief, and I felt as though everything was magnified at that moment- the feel of his lips on mine; insistent and full of want and lust, the pressure of his body against me, strong, hard and all male. I released a spine shattering shudder and opened myself up to him. What was I doing? This is the guy that would treat me like crap and then flirt right after. The guy who fucked almost everything female that strolled past him. The guy who I _hated_. I suddenly doubted myself, and my feelings towards the beautiful Russian. I didn't want anything from him, but finally having his lips upon mine was like a large bucket of water after quenching years of unbearable thirst. I longed for him, the desire and passion that ignited in my body triggered when he was near, and no matter how much my mind said that I hated him, my body completely disagreed.

The kiss continued, Dimitri's hand frantically touching my sensitive body, my hands clamping onto every inch of his muscle I could feel. I could barely breathe when I felt his muscles twitch from around my waist, pulling me even closer to his hard, strong body.

"Rose?" I heard a questioning voice crack from across the hall.

Dimitri wrenched back, dropping me immediately, causing me to stumble as he almost tripped over his own feet. I stood at the spot that Dimitri had preoccupied only moments before with my legs crossed, two fingers pressed lightly over my lips as my eyes widened. I swallowed against the erratic pounding of my heart and I turned to meet Tasha's eyes. Her brows furrowed as she gaze between Dimitri and I, skateboard in hand and her hair a mess.

"Anything wrong?" She asked.

"No." Dimitri and I replied in unison, causing the creases on Tasha's head to deepen.

"No," I said alone, keeping my gaze away from the gorgeous badass who stood next to me. "Dimitri was just helping me with the dishes."

My eyes averted to the man standing next to me before I quickly snapped my attention back to Tasha, who looked curiously between us. "He helped you with the dishes?" She asked, setting her skateboard against the wall before leaning against it, her eyes narrowed. "Why would you help her?" She asked Dimitri. "You hate her."

"Well, you know how hard it is to resist a begging girl, Tasha," He purred, "Especially if she's on her knees."

Tasha nodded her head and widened her eyes before walking towards the phone, her baggy black trousers covered in chains making a racket as she sauntered towards the phone. I looked at Dimitri who was staring at me, his dark eyes blazing in heat. Once he caught my gaze, he gave me a sexy wink and an animalistic smirk, causing my already strained breathing to erupt into incredibly harsh ones.

I had to resist the urge to smack him with my washing gloves again but I bit my lip and hoped Tasha did suspect the actively thrumming sexual tension drumming between us. I heard the delicious sound of Dimitri clear his throat and I would never know what he was going to say, because at that moment Tasha's voice shrilled through the apartment.

"Andre left you a message, Rose."

I broke the steel gaze that Dimitri and I shared and stared at the phone, feeling a nauseous sensation invade my stomach. I resisted the urge to scowl, mainly because Tasha was watching and after the previous night's argument, I knew that she would pick up anything suspicious and use it against me. I knew that she was still pissed, and I made sure to question Dimitri about his sister.

I looked at Dimitri to see that his eyes were dark and no amusement was stitched onto his beautiful face. I snapped my head back to the phone and made my way over to where the black device was situated, pressing the button that would cause Andre's voice to spread through the tense apartment. I cleared my throat and leaned against the couch, waiting for the message to begin.

"Ah, hey Rose…" Andre's beautiful, familiar voice said. "I'm guessing you're not in, because this has been about the fifth time I've called and no one's answered."

I heard a deep chuckled behind me and briefly heard the words, "Fucking whipped pussy" leave Dimitri's lips; I ignored him and continued to listen to the message.

"In case you're wondering, I got Christian's number off Lissa…Did you know about those two being together?" He sounded angry asking that question, but cleared his throat and continued on with his rambling, "Anyway, that isn't important. I wanted to let you know that I booked a reservation at this French restaurant '_Le_ _Palais'_ for eight…you know? Because last night you said you'd go on a date with me? Ring me as soon as you get this message…I really need to hear your voice right now."

The message died with a discordant tone, leaving the apartment feeling empty and silent; not even Dimitri opened his mouth. Finally, after much reticence, Tasha opened her mouth and spoke.

"Andre and I should go out for a drink sometime," She began plopping down on the red couch. "We could discuss our hatred over this insubstantial relationship over a martini."

I rolled my eyes and looked at Dimitri who stared at the black device, no sign of the smirk that had been there previously. Suddenly, just as I was about to open my mouth, a vibrating noise erupted from his jacket's pocket. He snapped his piercing attention to the heap of leather and plunged his hand into its pockets, ripping out a small black device that vibrated urgently in his hand.

He pressed it to his ear, running a hand through his wild sex hair before giving me a firm look. "What?" He growled, keeping his eyes firm on me. His eyes narrowed as the person on the other line spoke and he continued to look at me. His eyes snapped to my phone before turning his back, leaving the apartment without as much as a goodbye.

* * *

_Soooo... I know a lot of you were impatient about Dimitri and Rose not doing anything.. well there you go ;)_

_Remember, tell me what you thought of the chapter, what you think's going to happen... anything really :P_

_If you have any questions, just click on that little blue link down there :P_

hint.. _REVIEW_! :D

_Thank you so much for anyone who has reviewed this story, you have no idea how much it means_

xox


	9. Chapter 9

**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The orginal content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

* * *

_Helloooo :D So, here's chapter nine and I know a lot of you are happy and excited that Dimitri and Rose FINALLY kissed (you have no idea how much I anticipated that chapter) so, to make you even happier, I've given another early update :D I love all your ideas and opinions and I just hope you keep reviewing and still.. well, asking me questions, leaving constructive critism and stuff x) anyway, enjoy the chapter :D_

**_BIG _**_thanks to my amazing beta **Valdeh **who had this edited almost as soon as I sent it to her, love you girl! xo_

**Chapter Songs**

_** Decode- Paramore_

_**Let me go- 3 doors down_

_** Everything- lifehouse_

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**Chapter nine- **How did we get here?

**"The naked truth is always better than the best dressed lie."~ Ann Landers  
**

_**Rose…**_

Tasha stood across the room from me, her beautiful eyes glaring at the door where Dimitri had just left. I didn't need any reflective object to know that my face was red and that worried expressions crossed my face. My friend snapped her attention briefly towards me as she leaned against the wall before she continued to look at the door, and I knew instantly that she was looking rather than seeing, her eyes distant as her mind filled with vexing thoughts.

I looked at the door; a weird, unfamiliar feeling dropped and swirled in my stomach. My thoughts, which should have been focusing on other things such as Andre and the date, couldn't seem to stop replaying the scenario that had taken place only moments before. This wasn't supposed to happen. The kiss, passionate, lustful, and completely animalistic created wild thoughts, and feelings to pass through my shaking body, and I knew that what we had done was extensively wrong and fallacious. Dimitri and I didn't share any feelings, except for the wild desire to rip one another's clothes off. I knew, remembering how his fingers dented into my soft skin, that Dimitri wasn't interested in the cute, romantic, fluffy romance. He got what he wanted, and what he wanted was to fuck.

The kiss had been many things; erotic, passionate, sexy, incredible, but I knew that through all those amazing things, it all closed down to one thing; it was just for fun. I had to ask myself whether I was all right with that. Was I okay just aimlessly fucking as I had done in New York? Yes, I was okay with it. I had done it before, and Dimitri was no different from any man I had taken advantage off. He was more of a challenge, but I was willing to accept it. Manipulating him wouldn't be as easy as I was use to, but I knew that at the end of the day it would be all worth it.

"I'm heading out." Tasha's voice creaked, breaking my line of intense concentration.

"What? You're only back." I said, walking towards her, yellow gloves in my clammy hands and my eyes snapping around me as if I found it hard to focus on one thing.

"Yeah, well, I'm still pissed at you so-"

Loud thuds exploded from the door, interrupting Tasha's sentence causing her to squeal melodramatically in frustration. She could have finished her sentence, but the hammering against the door was hard and loud enough to create cracks to slice through the thick wood. I looked in panic at Tasha and threw the yellow gloves towards the kitchen before strolling towards the door. I was convinced, with the power of the thuds that pissed police officers where on the other side, and I was sure I wasn't the only one as Tasha darted into Christian's room, slamming the door behind her.

"ROSE, OPEN THIS GOD DAMNED DOOR!" A familiar voice roared from the other side, sounding pissed and irritated.

"Eddie?" I asked before jogging towards the door my bare feet battering against the wooden floor, before I clenched the doorknob, revealing a pissed Eddie and a nervous Mason.

"Fuck, I'm surprised you even remember my name!" He roared, causing Mason to grab his shoulder, obviously soothing my ferocious brother. The two boys walked into the living room and a red faced Eddie sighed loudly, his handsome face red and blotchy. "You can't just do that Rose! Leave and not tell me! Mom had to tell me that she kicked you out after you threatened her, what the fuck Rose?"

"How'd you know I was here?" I asked, my eyes focusing on a sheepish Mason.

"He had a right to know!" My red haired friend replied, gaining a little more confidence. "He's your brother."

"Whatever." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "And for your information, Eddie, Holly didn't kick me out; I left off my own accord."

"Without telling me?"

"Well I wasn't going to wait around for you!" I yelled, hearing the door creak open I turned around to see a curious Tasha who leaned against door and watched the conversation. "I wanted to get out there as soon as possible, and it's not like I had a cell to call you!"

"Well, shit Rose. You could have gotten someone else too!" He said, throwing his arms out in front of him in frustration. "After Dad found out that you weren't there, he went fucking berserk! Your room is completely destroyed, my Mom had to go in and salvage some of your dresses and some of your other possessions. He's even refusing to pay for your education at St. Vladimir's."

"Wait! What?" I asked in panic, a dreadful feeling building in my gut as I registered my brothers' words. "Does that mean I can't go to school anymore?"

"What did you expect Rose!" Eddie chuckled in a disheartened way, his eyes wide in annoyance. Mason walked over to stand beside Tasha, she turned around and gave him a dirty look before continuing to watch my brother and I. "You left, he doesn't have to do anything for you anymore."

"He's still my dad!" I growled, my hands making way to my hair before I groaned in choleric annoyance. "Well, fine. So I won't go to school then! I'll get a job as soon as I can and once I get enough money, I'm going back to New York."

"You'd be better off staying here." Eddie said reasonably, obviously trying to control his anger. "You have a secure home here, how do you know that once you go back to your mom she'll take you in?"

"I don't care!" I admitted, stepping back from him. "New York is my home, not this fucking shit hole."

"Thanks, Rose." Tasha sarcastically chirped from the corner. I rolled my eyes and turned my back on Eddie, strolling into the kitchen to finish the dishes that Dimitri and I had not succeeded to finish.

"Did you travel all this way just to shout at me?" I asked angrily, hoping with everything I had that no one caught how distraught I was at this news. I knew that I should have expected it;, St. Vlad's was a prestigious academy, which cost a lot of money if you weren't on a scholar ship. I took a deep breath and turned around to look at my brother. "Because quite truthfully, I'm not really in the mood at to be yelled at today."

Eddie sighed and ran a hand through his hair before strolling over to me. Obviously my demeanour failed me, I could feel my lower lip and chin tremble as I held in tears. There was a huge mix of feelings brewing inside of me, and it was like an emotional overload. Eddie strolled over to where I stood, my eyes filled with salty water, and he wrapped his strong arms around me.

"I'm sorry I shouted." He apologized, pressing his lips to my forehead. "I have no right to come here and yell. You've been through enough without my stupid arguing."

I sighed into his comforting physique and I closed my eyes, feeling small and protected covered by his warm hug. "You should be sorry." I joked, squeezing tighter. I heard Mason clear his throat behind us and Eddie and I separated with a smile. Many things were running through my mind and between Abe and Dimitri, I felt sick with commotion. There was only so much I could take.

"Eddie, we have to leave…like now." Mason muttered, looking at his watch. "They're waiting for us."

"Who's waiting for you?" I asked curiously.

"Mia and Sonya." Eddie confirmed with a sigh. "Mia wanted a date with me, and I didn't exactly want to go alone with her. So it's a double date."

I looked at Tasha who was glaring at Mason, a scowl on her lips. "What kind of date starts at two in the afternoon?"

"A date that will be over as soon as possible." Eddie sighed, backing away from me to walk towards the door.

"Hold on, you stopped off here…on your way to a date?" I asked a little shocked.

"Well technically, I used missing you as an excuse for not going out on the date," He said with a shrug, "But then Mason actually told me where you were, and well…the rest is history."

"Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense," I said with a smile. "Well, have fun."

"That's your not-so-subtle cue to leave." Tasha chirped from her corner, a sadistic glare in her eyes as she watched the two boys. The two boys sized her up, evaluating her attitude as she leaned against the wall, a scowl on her face. "Bye, now."

Eddie chuckled and turned round to look at me. "I'll talk to you later." I smiled and gave him a nod, waving half heartedly at him and Mason as they left the messy apartment.

I sighed and turned around to look at my best friend, who had taken out her phone and was now furiously typing away a message. I rolled my eyes and seeing her on her cell, reminded me that I still needed to call back Andre. I knew Andre's number off by heart because I was always the one to call him whenever we needed to schedule piano lessons. I dialled the number effortlessly and pressed the black device to my ear, hearing the constant tones as the phone rang.

After a few beeps, a familiar and older voice answered. "Hello, Eric Dragomir speaking."

"Oh, ah, hello Sir, it's Rose Hathaway."

"Rosemarie!" He chuckled contently down the phone. "How are you, dear?"

"Yeah, I'm doing great." I said, trying to sound as pleasant as possible, resisting the urge to smack Tasha who pretended to shove a finger down her throat. "Is Andre there?"

"Yes, he is," Eric, replied kindly. "I'll put him through now."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Anytime, dear." He said, "Your father is a good friend of mine, you need anything and I'm here."

"Oh, that's… very kind."

"Yes, well, anything for a Mazur."

I resisted the urge to scream down the phone 'I'M NOT A FUCKING MAZUR!' by taking a deep breathe and smiling. "I appreciate that."

"Oh, here's Andre now." Was all the man said, his clear, hypnotic voice rippled through the phone.

There was a slight static as the phone moved from Eric's hand to his sons, but eventually, Andre's beautiful voice seeped through the speakers, and filled my ears. "Rose?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh thank god! I thought you weren't going to call back."

I heard shuffling in the background and I knew that he was moving, obviously stepping away from his father. "I just wanted to call to let you know that I'm still up for that date."

"Oh, that's great!" He laughed, filling me with joy. His voice sounded lighter as he spoke. "You're going to love it Rose, the interior is so grand and pretentious. I've been sitting here hoping that you would call me back so that I could explain just how luxurious and chichi it all is!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes; obviously Andre didn't know me that well, if he thought I judged a man by the depth of his wallet. I didn't care that the restaurant was pretentious and I didn't care that it was potentially the most glamorous restaurant in the whole of California, the thing that mattered to me the most was having fun. Andre continued to babble on about the great reviews that the restaurant has received, as I strolled around the living room. I said 'uh-huh' when it deemed necessary and I said 'yeah' when I saw fit, never truly taking in what the blonde man had to say. Tasha sat on the arm of the red couch, looking at me sceptically, her eyes narrowed as she watched my perfunctory feet patter around the clattered floor.

Andre continued to ramble, and although I could hear everything, he was saying; nothing was registering with my mind. All I could focus on was the lingering feeling of Dimitri's electric touch on my bare skin, his dark animalistic eyes, and his hungry passion. I could feel my cheeks redden and I had to clear my throat, knowing perfectly well that Tasha was glancing at me acutely, her pupils narrowing to focus on me. I turned my back and tried to make conversation with the man whom I was talking with.

"So, are you picking me up at eight then?" I asked, scratching my left arm with my hand, leaning the phone against my shoulder as I spoke into it.

"Seven-thirty. It's quite a long drive, and I want to make sure we make it there in time for our reservation." He stated confidently.

"Oh, okay," I began "I'm guessing this is like…black tie? Like fancy dresses and heels?"

"Yes…is that a problem?" YES!

"No."

"That's great! Well, I'll see you at seven-thirty then!" With that, he hung up, creating a droning buzz to escape the group of holes splattered across the receiver. I pressed the phone to my forehead as I sighed in frustration, folding my arms as I contemplated seriously.

"I am sincerely fucked." I groaned into the phone, plopping down onto the red couch and ignoring the snigger than slithered from Tasha's mouth.

"What is it this time, Cupcake?" Tasha asked, scooting down to sit normally on the couch, folding her legs under her tall body. Although her words implied that she was concerned, I could tell from her wide eyes and crooked smirk that she was enjoying this more than she should have. I resisted the urge to throw the phone at her head, and I walked into the kitchen releasing a large sigh.

"By any chance do you have a formal dress that I can borrow?" I asked, leaning against the wall, thoughts of worry and presentiment. I liked Andre, and no matter how pompous he was, I knew that I would probably go on more dates than this one. There was a buzz vibrating through my body and I didn't know whether it was left over spark from Dimitri or excitement for my date, but leaning against the wall, I suddenly felt nauseous.

"I'm sure I can rustle something up," Tasha said with a shrug, cracking a knuckle before lying down on the couch. "First though, I want some grovelling."

I rolled my eyes and walked to stand before her, my bare feet patting against the cold ground. I swallowed the anticipating feelings brewing in my stomach and looked Tasha in the eye, begging that she wouldn't pick up how flustered I still was, and I prayed that my eyes wouldn't snap to the door as if waiting for Dimitri to appear back through them. I leaned down to balance on the ball's of my feet, hearing my knees crack as I bent. "Please, I beg you;, could you find it in that black shrivelled up heart to help me?"

Tasha glared at me for a few seconds before her lips rose in a smirk. "More."

I sighed loudly and put my hands together as if praying. "_Please!_ I will do anything for you! I'll be…your slave."

"Keep talking." Tasha said interestedly, folding her arms and crooking her eyebrow, obviously immensely enjoying the little act, I was putting on for her.

"I'll do _anything_ you want," I promised, keeping my eyes locked to hers and almost as if through my intense, piercing gaze, she would cave.

"Anything?"

"Anything." I confirmed.

"Well, in that case…" She chuckled and sat up straight, flinging her arm across the seat. "You have to do my laundry for…a month, It'll be you who has to turn off the light before we go to bed and you go into town to get me my favourite smoothie."

"Seriously?"

"Take it or leave it, sister."

"Okay, okay fine!" I said, standing straight again, hearing the morose sound of my knees crack again. "You, my friend, are an asshole." I said, strolling into the bedroom to find suitable clothes to step out into. I rustled up a pair of skinny jeans and a tank top, so I was good to go. I ambled back into the living room within minutes to see a smug Tasha, sprawled across the couch, remote in hand.

"Hey, see if they have those little packets of spicy nuts, I like those." She said, popping some sweet into her mouth.

"Yes, your highness." I hissed sarcastically, leaning against the wall until her demands modified, hopefully dwindling down to an actual favour, rather than a command. "You know, this is totally not worth one of Andre's dates. I mean, have you _seen_ your laundry?"

"Why yes, yes I have," She affirmed, flinging a skinny arm to cushion the back of her head. "And that, my dear, is why I'm making you do it."

"Fine," I growled, rolling my eyes as I pulled some loose change from the table where I kept my money stashed. I only had a few dollars left, and it was becoming worrying. Tasha and Christian didn't need a job because their mom sent money every month to cover food and bills, but there was only so much food that money could buy. I needed a job, and fast. I looked behind me to see Tasha smiling at me smugly, her tongue sticking out at one point as if mocking me. "A packet a spicy nuts, and your favourite smoothie?"

"And anything else you might see that I'll like." She said, placing a bright red piece of candy into her mouth.

"Okay, whilst I'm gone, please do me a favour and get a shower," I joked, "You look like shit and you don't smell too great either."

"I was skateboarding!"

"Did you by any chance board into a big pile of crap?" I asked jokingly. "Get a shower."

"Fuck you, Cupcake."

"Love you Tasha!" I yelled loudly before stepping out into the narrow graffiti hallways, slamming the stickered door behind me. I sighed and with thoughts of Dimitri on my mind, I put one foot before the other in an attempt to create a confident walk, hoping I could actually make it to the juice bar without fainting.

_**XXXX**_

_**Dimitri…**_

Dimitri stood in the middle of Rose's living room, glaring at the phone shortly after Andre's voice filled the tense apartment. The passion in him was ignited every time his crafty eyes fell upon the beautiful girl, swallowing it was the hardest thing he had done in his life. He wasn't used to keeping things on hold, wasn't used to not getting what he wanted and this was different. He wanted Rose at that minute, more than anything but he was aware that half the appeal revolved around just that: He couldn't have her, and that made Dimitri want her more than anything. His eyes watched how her soft finger brushed through her cascading, beautiful hair, how her curves fitted perfectly on her voluptuous, amazing figure, still feeling the amazing velvet touch of her soft skin. He cleared his throat but he couldn't seem to rip his angry gaze away from the black device that sat on the coffee table.

Suddenly, as if slapping him across the face, a loud vibration erupted from his leather jacket. He snapped his neck to stare at the pile of leather, walking over to shove his hands into the broad pockets as he grabbed the phone pressing it to his ear.

"Belikov." The man said; his voice familiar and unwanted.

"What?" Dimitri growled, keeping the leather jacket in his hand as he stormed out of the apartment, ignoring the urge to step back and press his lips to Rose's again.

"I'm outside, get out here." He demanded;, his voice a little rougher, now that he was talking business. Whenever Dimitri had seen him in school, he played the perfect kid but Dimitri could see through the bullshit charade. He didn't like how this kid had the power to make him do his every whim and woe, but Dimitri had no choice but to abide his commands.

Dimitri hung up, and threw his leather jacket over his shoulder, tunnelling his muscled arms through the sleeves until it fitted around his body comfortably. He jogged down the stairs, keeping his eyes in front of him and refusing to let thoughts travel through his twisted mind. No matter how many times he thought of other things, he couldn't get rid of the haunting image of Rose's eyes as she watched him leave the apartment. Finally, he reached the lobby and he ambled towards the entrance, willing to keep up his tough love demeanour, not allowing the kid to catch a glance at the disaccording thoughts that permeated his mind.

He stood against his exorbitant, expensive car, his freckled friend standing next to his confident form. Dimitri stood tall, glaring at the kid to prove that his rich daddy or his expensive belongings didn't intimidate him. He ambled over, keeping one hand in his pocket as he portrayed a comfortable confidence; this kid had nothing on him.

"Belikov." He almost growled, his eyes seizing the Russian up.

"What do you want?" Dimitri growled, looking at the dark haired boy as he looked at him.

"I request nothing from you, as you very well know I don't hold the authority to 'want' things," He logically said, smirking patronizingly. "I'm given an order, and I abide by that order."

"Well, what does the prick have in store for me today?" Dimitri asked, leaning against the inordinate vehicle, enjoying the expression that crossed the kids face.

"That _prick_ could easily massacre everyone you love, so I'd keep your opinions on Mr Mazur to yourself." He growled, "He's already experiencing abhorrence due to your idiotic, nugatory attempt of defending Rose. If I were you, I'd grovel for forgiveness; he isn't in the greatest of moods today."

"Abhorrence my ass," Dimitri growled, standing up tall to tower of the two boys. "I've made this clear, Abe can't hurt me. Pain is a specific emotion for those who feel, and as far as I'm concerned, my body is vacant of that particular emotion. So do yourself a favour, and stop the threatening, because we both know your daddy won't protect you if I decide to kick your scrawny dick into the dirt."

Eddie chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, a sarcastic smirk on his lips. "Unless you want to end up with another scar or maybe even like your contemptible father in a wheelchair, I would strongly advise you watch what you say to me next," He growled, "You seem to be forgetting who my father is."

"Forgetting?" Dimitri chuckled loudly, going back to lean against the flashy car. "You haven't given me the contingency to forget, with the amount of times you mention it." Dimitri sized him up, his eyes falling on the black crystal rosary beads that lay on his neck, ones identical to the ones around his own neck. The black rosary was a symbol of how he was a possession owned by none other than Ibrahim Mazur; it labelled them as hit men or supplier for the criminal association that had originated in the Mazur Manor, quickly joined by the power of the Dragomir's. Jobs were laid for a certain person, and that person was expected to follow his job correctly, or consequences were to be paid. The rosary beads had ominous little eyes embedded in the crystal, the rosary itself identified them as men of Eric Dragomir, but the embedded nazars, the most important thing about them, distinguished them from any other rosary beads. It was also metaphoric, the rosary beads where the first thing anyone saw and only with further speculation that said person could identify the Turkish eyes. Just as everyone in the organisation knew that Eric Dragomir was a main contributor, only those who had gained trust or had been especially dealt with knew that Mazur was the top man, the leader of it all.

Dimitri felt his own holy beads around his neck, like a branding into his skin. He wanted to rip them from his neck and throw them as far away as possible; everything they represented sickened Dimitri to his stomach. He knew that if he failed to meet any of Abe's orders, his kneecaps could be bashed exactly like his father's had been. Anton had done more than just break a measly rule, he had stolen a briefcase filled with drugs, and had lied to Abe and Eric, resulting in a serious beating which caused the man to be trapped in a wheelchair for life. Dimitri wasn't afraid of them and the only reason he had gotten into the whole 'gang' business was because his father couldn't do it anymore- A fact that created a great fury in the minds of Eric Dragomir and Ibrahim Mazur. With many threats to his mother and sisters, Dimitri was forced into a life that he didn't want.

"Just get down to the Mazur Manor, Belikov." Eddie commanded, his eyes looking at the tall building of Rose's apartment. "I need to see my sister, quite a coincidence that the day we were ordered to follow you, you brought us to a place in which I really needed to be."

"It's just magical, isn't it?" Dimitri scoffed, turning his back to climb on his black Harley. He stuck the keys into the slot, and revved the engine, releasing the clutch quicker than usual to streak out of the cluttered neighbourhood. Dimitri didn't look back, his abrupt departure was dramatic and created the annoyance he had harboured to flow into Eddie, causing Dimitri to smirk as he flew past the Californian scenery.

Roughly, after fifteen minutes off speeding through the city, Dimitri ended up outside the grand mansion of the Mazur Manor. He climbed off his bike and put both hands on each black handle as he pushed the vehicle towards the voice box, where he would state his name and be given permission to enter the lavish, elegant home of Ibrahim Mazur. He tried to picture Rose living here, and he just couldn't. Her beautiful laid-back personality just seemed too blasé and uninterested towards the completely glamorous life of a multi-millionaire.

"Dimitri Belikov." He stated, waiting patiently as the gate guard replied.

"What's your purpose here?"

"I have a meeting with Ibrahim Mazur."

The droning of the small box stopped as the huge iron gates creaked opened, giving Dimitri permission to enter. He continued to push his heavy bike up the long driveway before finally arriving outside the huge mahogany doors of the luxurious mansion. He kicked the stand of his bike before ambling up the stone steps, bunching his hand into a fist then folding his arms again as he leaned against the tall white walls, waiting for someone to answer the door.

A pretty maid answered the door and looked Dimitri up and down before opening the entrance to allow him through. "You are here to see Mr Mazur?" She spoke, her English laced with a Romanian accent.

"Yeah, his son told me that he asked for me." Dimitri stated walking into the familiar foyer, remembering the grand crystal chandelier that hung beautifully from the ornate ceiling.

"Oh! Mr Castile?" The girl excitedly squeaked, "Yes, I can bring you to Mr Mazur, follow Corina."

She pointed to herself, so Dimitri took a guess and figured that she was Corina. He put one boot before the other as he climbed the luxurious marble stairs framed with intricate black banisters, the designs on them very much like the tattoo on his back. Corina walked down a long corridor, the walls covered in exquisite art until she finally stopped outside a grand door. Dimitri watched as she lifted a delicate hand and pounded a few powerful knocks on the door, stepping back as she waited for Abe's approval.

"Enter." His heinous voice slithering through the door.

Dimitri swallowed, and with a nod towards the pretty maid he put a hand on the doorknob and opened it, revealing a very tidy, controlled office surrounded by walls filled with books and pictures. There was a computer on a thick mahogany desk, a big black seat situated behind it. Before the desk were three comfortable chairs, where Dimitri knew he would be sitting now. Sitting in one of the red chairs already, was a person he knew well; Ambrose Cassidy, a careless man whore who had knocked up a few girls, leaving them, to knock up more girls.

"Sit." Abe commanded from behind the beautiful desk, his back sharp and straight as his dark eyes assessed him. Dimitri nodded and walked further into the room to sit on one of the chairs, as he walked closer to the man, he pulled the rosary from under his t-shirt, exposing it to Ambrose, who wore one like his, and to Abe- his boss.

Abe glared at him once before turning back to the boy. "You have been in my office for approximately twenty minutes, and yet I fail to see the purpose of your visit Ambrose." He growled, his fingers knitting together as he glared at the boy who sat before him.

"Well, s-sir…" He stuttered, his leg vibrating in worry. "I've done everything you've asked of me, I trashed the beach, I filled poison in Avery's mind…and I was wondering when I was going to get p-paid?"

Abe chuckled in amusement, showing many teeth like a wolf would in a feral growl. "The whole purpose of your set tasks was to plant doubts in my daughters head, creating perpetuating thoughts to remain at my grasp. You failed. We owe you nothing."

"What? B-but you said I would be paid!" Ambrose called, his eyes growing wide in shock. "Please, you have to pay me. There are so many people on my case, expecting me to hand them a lot of money any day now. You can't just throw me into the sharks!"

"You're lucky I don't throw you into the sharks, Ambrose, and I say that in a literal sense." The old man looked at Dimitri with a wicked smirk. "Dimitri here, is a perfect example of what happens when my men fail. Belikov, show him your punishment."

Dimitri glared at Abe, and released a growl. The old man had forgotten who Dimitri was when he had defended Rose, but Dimitri knew that Abe would never forget his face again. The tall man ripped his shirt over his head after removing his leather jacket, revealing a muscled body, a sexy intricate tattoo, and scars that patched few pieces of his tanned skin, the biggest one being the long jagged one beginning at his hairline to the bend of his shoulder.

"Tell him what your punishment was and why you deserved it." Abe commanded in amusement.

"A knife was driven deeply through the trail leading from my ear to my shoulder and I was stabbed continuously in the stomach and back. I was in the Intensive Care unit for three months, and I was almost killed." Dimitri began, remembering the pain, the agony. "I was given this beating for trying to protect my father against his punishment of smuggling drugs that didn't belong to him."

"Anton Belikov was given a specific order to bring me the briefcase immediately, and he failed to do so," Abe said pleasantly. "He says his intentions were to deliver the smuggled items to me, but I couldn't let the _possibility_ of him lying pass. For that one mistake, Anton was beaten until his legs were paralysed and every visible piece of his body was scarred badly."

Ambrose looked panicky as he snapped his attention to Abe. "Y-you're going to do that to me? P-please!" He cried, a few tears falling down his face he trembled. "I have kids, dude! Don't do this!"

"You failed to meet orders, I'm sure your punishment won't be quite as severe as the two Belikov's, but this will not go unpunished." Abe stated, standing up to walk towards a large liquor table, where he opened glass doors to reveal expensive wines, whiskeys and any other alcoholic beverage brought mind. He lifted out a crystal, circle bottle filled with a dark yellow liquid, he poured into a smaller glass that looked similar to the crystal bottle holding the drink. "You know where the door is."

Ambrose looked at Dimitri, fear sketched into his eyes as he stood up, his hands shaking as he opened the door and disappeared from sight. Dimitri sat there, shirtless as he glared at the old man who stood next to him, drink in hand.

"Your son mentioned that you wanted a word with me, sir?" Dimitri question, while lounging in the chair as he stared at his boss.

Abe walked back around his desk and remained standing as he set down his drink; he clenched his fists and pressed them into the table as he leaned forwards the Dimitri, who sat comfortably in the cushioned red chair. "What is it that you want with my Rosemarie?" The old man growled, his voice low and macabre, his eyes blazing as he pierced Dimitri.

"What?" Dimitri asked in a panic, feeling something in his stomach. "What do you mean?"

"You don't think I forgot about the series of events that took place at Eric Dragomir's party?" Abe hissed, his voice was rough and Dimitri didn't doubt for one second that if this old man wanted to, he could reach over and kill Dimitri. There was something about Abe that made Dimitri feel like a child; made him feel inexperienced and stupid. He felt lost at words sometimes, and although he wasn't afraid of what he would do to Dimitri himself, he was terrified what the man could do to his family. "_HOW_ _DARE_ _YOU!_" He barked in Dimitri's face, a throbbing vein prodding on his red forehead as saliva sprayed from his lips. "You will severely pay for that, Belikov. I am your superior; I could _destroy_ you if I so wish, so next time you decide to publically challenge me, think again."

"I'm sorry, Sir." Dimitri said, his voice remaining strong. He didn't want to give Abe excuse to 'severely punish' him. "I wasn't myself that night."

"That is no excuse and it certainly doesn't distract from the fact that you will be penalized for your wrongdoings." Abe warned, a smirk twitching on his lip. "Although there is no likelihood that you will be able to change my mind, I am giving you the opportunity to lessen your retribution if you comply with some tasks I need doing."

"What tasks, Sir?" Dimitri asked, willing to do anything to escape the fate his father had been unfortunately dealt with.

"You'll be paired with Edison in the first assignment." Abe said, sitting down against the wooden table, folding his arms. "A man of my associate will be arriving at our warehouse tomorrow morning at five. Edison will take a separate car, and he will step out to greet the man and receive the briefcase and envelope. You step out shortly after and make it seem as though Edison departed with the suitcase, but you take it once their attention is elsewhere. Let Edison depart before you do, and if they follow him, you follow them, understood?" Abe growled; his eyes stoic yet somehow filled with deadly anger and seriousness.

"They know how much of precedence Edison is to us, if any of our adversaries are interested in having our stock or connections, they could see the importance Edison holds, and use it to their advantage." Abe reasonably said, folding his arms. His voice was rough and he was talking business. "You see _anyone_ following Edison? Follow them."

"Yes, sir."

"If you don't succeed in making it to the warehouse or back to the Manor, destroy any evidence that said you tried," Abe ordered, his black eyes glaring deeply at Dimitri. "We cannot risk the possibility that the authorities will find out, especially due to the events I have planned. There cannot be a crisis this week; my schedule is full. . A human trafficker is coming over from Romania and I do not have the time, or the patience for your failure, you understand?"

"I understand," Dimitri began, scratching a tingling itch on his stomach. "And my other assignment?"

"That will be revealed within time," Abe said, pinching his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Once I need your services, I will contact you."

"Is that all, Sir?" Dimitri asked, keeping his shirt and jacket in his hands.

"Yes, that is all." Abe stated, shooing the tall man away, "Leave."

Dimitri nodded and didn't hesitate to leave the room as fast as his feet would let him. He kept his shirt off, the sun beating down as he walked into the garden of the grand house, taking his cell phone from his leather jacket to look at the time. It was only half four, he had three and a half hours to find a suit, a date and enough money for what he had planned for that night. He climbed on his bike, and roared out of the Manor's grounds, the black gates shutting loudly behind him.

_**XXX**_

_**Rose…**_

"Oh, Rose… you look so beautiful!" Lissa complimented, walking around my nervous form. Tasha had kept to her promise, after I brought her home a banana and nutmeg smoothie, along with spicy nuts and some things she might like, she brought me into her room and tore it apart for the perfect dress. Of course, it was black and it was everything I hoped it would be when I saw it in Tasha's hands. The fabric clung everywhere, the black silk clinging to every curve. I didn't see how Tasha could have ever worn this dress, as someone as flat chested as her had no chance of keeping the dress up. It made me look fantastic, and added with a pair of killer heels, I looked pretty good. I left my hair down, the long curls falling down my shoulder and my makeup smoky and perfect. I was ready to go.

"Thank you!" I said in a little swirl. Tasha had to go out and do some 'errands' so Christian had invited Lissa over to watch a movie. She actually came over a few hours before and helped me perfect my hair and makeup, and through that I had learned to get to know her a little better. I had started to grow a liking for the blonde girl.

I walked across the room, grabbing Tasha's black clutch bag before looking at the clock hanging on the wall. It was seven-twenty five and I was literally shitting myself. "Do I look… rich enough to be going to this restaurant?" I asked my friend and his girlfriend.

"Rose, you look smoking, no one's going to care whether you look like some stuck up, prestigious brat," He said with a shrug, wrapping his arm around the stunning blonde-haired woman next to him. "They'll be too busy thinking 'Wow, who owns that sweet piece of ass'" Lissa's arm reached up to smack him before I had a chance, and just as I was stepping forward to kick him, three light taps vibrated from the door, causing my stomach to drop.

"Oh shit." I murmured to myself as I fixed my reflection in the mirror. "How do I look?"

"You look perfect!" Lissa yelled playfully, "Now answer the door before my poor brother thinks you've rejected him."

I rolled my eyes and sauntered towards the door, my heels clicking against the floor as I strutted forward, my fingers clenched around the small bag which held my new cell phone, the remainder of my money, lip gloss and powder. I reached out and answered the door to see Andre, holding a large bundle of roses in his right hand and a cute smile on his handsome face.

His jaw almost smacked off the ground and his eyes widened when he was exposed to my outfit. "Wow, you look… amazing Rose." He said, his eyes sneakily checking out my very visibly cleavage and smooth, tanned legs. He swallowed and handed me the flowers, the same hungry expression on his face. "Seriously, you look so hot."

"Thanks," I said with a smile, taking in his expensive cologne and his gorgeous suit. "You don't look too bad yourself."

He just smirked and watched as I placed the roses behind me, giving Christian the 'look' which indicated that I wanted him to put the flowers into a vase whilst I was away. He smiled at me and the couple lifted their hands in cute little waves of goodbye. I shut the door behind me, blushing when Andre offered his arm for me to take. I wrapped my arm around his toned one as we walked out of the apartment building and into his BMW 24, which was made of the most beautiful silver. He walked around and opened my door for me, giving me a gallant smile and a nod of the head as he lifted his arm to present my entrance. I nodded my head and smiled in thanks before holding onto my skirt to slide into the flashy interior.

He strolled back around to his side and opened the door, setting himself in as he fastened his seatbelt, putting the keys into the ignition and starting the car, the soft purr vibrating lightly under my feet. I looked at Andre once who gave me a cute smile as he backed out the car park and onto the main road.

"I'm really glad you agreed to go on a date with me, Rose." Andre admitted, keeping his eyes on the road as if he was afraid to look at me.

"Yeah, me too." I said believably. It wasn't that I didn't want to date Andre, I just felt strangely empty when I was with him. There was a few gentle, cute things that he tended do, and they made me smile and blush but what I felt for him lacked all the passion that a relationship needed to survive. We continued to drive in silence, the quiet atmosphere calming and weirdly soothing. I was used to havoc and chaos in my life, but sitting here comfortably with a guy I found extremely attractive was the best kind of peace I hadn't felt in days. I was grateful for Andre bringing me out, I really was.

"My Dad seems to really like you," Andre stated softly, as if he was afraid to fill the silence. "He kept asking me questions about you, and saying how you're such a nice girl."

"That's sweet," I said happily, feeling a smile ripple on my lips. "I'm sure my dad likes you too - not that I would know."

"Yeah, why are you living in Christian's apartment?" He asked. I was aware that he asking to create some conversation, but I still felt a little raw with my father and I didn't want anyone to know about what happened in New York.

"My father and I had a bit of a falling out, nothing to worry over though," I lied, trying to keep my eyes from averting to the handsome blonde who sat next to me.

His hands stayed firm on the wheels as he listened to my lie, sucking it in as though it were oxygen. We had been in the car for a good fifteen minutes and although I enjoyed Andre's company, I wanted out of the car. I felt like all these unanswerable questions were weighed upon my shoulders, and the pressure was too great. He wasn't even asking that much of me, and yet here I was almost suffocating. Thanks to Abe.

I stayed quiet listening to Andre's tales, how things were going in college, how he had to find a new student because he wasn't teaching me anymore, and how his life was in general. I was perfectly content to sit and give him my full attention, even though I wasn't registering half the things he was saying. Again, for the millionth time that evening, Dimitri had entered my mind. Why did he leave so abruptly and without any explanation? I knew that he wasn't jealous, Dimitri wasn't the type to get jealous… but questions were forming in my cluttered mind, and the answers were so close to me, yet what they told scared the living shit out of me. I wanted to know the answers, yet I was afraid of what the answers might be.

Did Dimitri care for me? Was the passion that threaded through our kiss a trick for him to get me to bed? Did he see me for who I am really am, instead of some bitch that he hated long ago?

Did he still hate me?

Each answer held so much appeal and yet I couldn't forge up the bravery to call Dimitri and just ask. He wasn't the guy to be with one girl and I knew that, I knew that he wouldn't commit to me. The thought was so ludicrous that I let a little giggle escape from my lips. Andre looked at me in curiosity before turning his eyes back to the road. The thoughts that preoccupied my mind allowed me to truly assess the situation that I was in. Did I want to be with a guy like Dimitri? The greatest challenge in life is to find someone who accepts your flaws, differences and mistakes and stills sees the best in you, but could I do that with Dimitri? Could he do it with me? The pain I felt inside was overpowering when I realized the truth. For all I knew, Dimitri needed me to blow off steam, he still hated me, and he probably didn't want to see me again. What was his motto? fuck 'em and then chuck 'em. We hadn't done anything other than kiss, but if Tasha hadn't interrupted us I was pretty sure that we would have escalated onto the next level.

Finally, after many frightening prospects and thoughts, we parked outside a beautiful, chic castle, which looked thousands of years old. It had little lights decorating the old stones, but instead of making it look tacky and older, it lit the beautiful palace up. Many people were lined outside, but Andre handed his keys to a young gangly man who drove it around the corner to park it in the parking lot. He offered his elbow again and I took it, feeling like such a lady as he escorted me into the beautiful restaurant.

We were greeted by a brunette woman who smiled sweetly at Andre, providing him with a perfect view of her pearly whites, her blue eyes dazzling as she brought us to our romantic table. Andre like the perfect gentleman he was, pulled out my chair and sat me down, tucking me in once I was comfortable. He smiled sweetly at me and sat himself down, never taking his eyes away from mine.

"Here's your menu." A waiter said, looking at me in particular. Andre coughed nervously and looked at the waiter, who couldn't stop looking at my chest.

"Eyes are up here buddy," I snapped, feeling a little uncomfortable. The waiter coughed and walked away, rubbing the back of his neck in shame.

"I'm sorry about that Rose," Andre apologized in chagrin, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the rude waiter, "The staff in here are usually very complaisant and amenable. Don't let that vile pervert ruin your night."

"I wasn't going to let him ruin my night," I said with a soft smile, "But thank you for your concern."

Andre's eyes twinkled as he smiled at me and he opened up his menu, looking over it to sneak a peek at me every once and a while. I hid a smirk that threatened to expose itself and looked at menu to see that it was only a wine card. I took a look at my choices and looked over it to ask Andre.

"Hey, what drink are you getting? All these make no sense to me." I said, looking at all the French names that wouldn't flow from my tongue. "I don't usually get…wine."

"Oh, so what do you drink?"

"Ah, Jack Daniels mostly." I said with a shrug.

"Oh, a whiskey girl." Andre flirted, crooking an eyebrow. The gesture reminded me so much of Dimitri that it took my breath away. It was evident however, that although Andre was trying to be sexy, it lacked the sex appeal that Dimitri radiated with that smirk and arched eyebrow. Andre looked hot yeah, but he might as well have been a little match compared to Dimitri's roaring, blazing bonfire.

Andre clicked his fingers in the air twice and within thirty seconds, a tall confident woman walked over with a pad and pen, her uniform pristine as she jotted down our orders. "A bottle of red wine and Jack Daniels." The waitress said, a soft smile on her face. "Anything else?"

"No, thank you." Andre said, shooing his fingers, indicating that she should leave.

We continued to talk about nothing in particular and flirt like dates did. He told me about the student he was teaching and how the ten year old was a far stretch from me, he made me laugh, and I was having a great time. Finally, the waitress came with our drinks and handed Andre the whiskey, obviously thinking that I was getting the wine, a much more feminine choice.

"Sorry, that's mine." I said with a nervous giggle. The waitress just smiled and placed it down in front of me. She handed me it in a small crystalized glass with lots of ice. I took a sip and let my eyes roam around the beautiful room.

The decorations were beautifully ornate and I could totally see the appeal of the place, the chandeliers hung low on the ceiling and created little prisms of light to speckle the blood red expensive wallpaper, surrounding everything. There was a large stage where a group of musicians sat, playing their specific instrument, playing soothing music, creating relaxing thoughts and feelings to fill my mind. As I lifted my glass for another sip, I felt like eyes were staring right at me, but when I shifted my gaze to Andre, he would either be engrossed in the band, or flicking through the food menu. My convening eyes searched the magnificent hall, falling upon many couples. Yet, no matter where I looked, I couldn't spot the eyes that pierced my skin.

After much search, a small, pretty girl was brought to my attention. She was petite and small, her white dress clinging nowhere in particular, her body bony and thin. I assessed her further and soon, a huge smile spilled on the girls beautiful face, and I watched at how her eyes lit up and her teeth almost seemed to glint off the lighting. I was beyond curious as to who could create such an impact on this girl, and after seeing some other people's heads turn, I decided to take a peak for myself. And boy, had I wished that I hadn't.

Standing at the entrance of the restaurant, eyebrow arched and smirk intact, was Dimitri Belikov. He wore formal clothes, but instead of looking stuck up and prestigious like Andre had been, he managed to pull off the outfit incredibly well. He wore dark black trousers which, when he turned around, showed a great view of his perky ass, and his shirt , unlike everyone else's was unbutton, showing a lot of sexy, all male, muscled chest. He didn't wear a tie, but over his broad, sexy shoulders and arms, he wore a fitting jacket, which stuck to him, pronouncing every muscle. Even through my anger, I still felt the raw desire to kick away every table and person, to jump on his sexy ass.

I could tell from his demeanour and stance that he was flirting with the hostess, and within seconds, the beautiful lady led him to a seat not far from ours. I almost groaned in anger and apprehension. Dimitri knew that I was coming here tonight, he had heard the message, and yet, there he sat with some blonde slut, not so far away from me.

Almost as if he could feel my blazing glare, the beautiful Russian turned his neck to stare me right in the eye, his pupils twinkling as he absorbed my exacerbating temper. I spun back around and looked at Andre who was looking at me curiously, his beautiful green eyes watching me closely.

"Anything wrong?" He asked, his beautiful irises focusing in on me.

"Ah, no…" I lied, resisting the urge to look at Dimitri. "Ah, could you excuse me… for a moment? I need to ah, use the ladies room."

Andre nodded carefully and watched me walked around the corner. I was far enough at the back to be out of Andre's gaze, but still in view of Dimitri's, and after much hand movements, causing rich snobs to glare at me in distaste, I caught the Russian's attention. I gave him the 'look' and within seconds, he stood up without excusing himself and stormed towards me, appreciating eyes following him everywhere. He followed me into the bathroom, not giving shit which bathroom I had just walked into.

"What are you doing here?" I screeched, throwing my hands in front of me. Dimitri made no coherent reply; instead, his eyes fell down my body as if he was taking in every curve, every inch that was me. His eyes turned from beautiful brown to a dark, sinister black as hunger overwhelmed his body.

"Jesus," He muttered, taking a step towards me, "You look beautiful…"

I smiled softly before taking a step back. "Answer my question." I demanded, keeping my eyes firm on the beautiful man before me. A sliver of tanned chest was visible and it took all I had not to reach out and let my fingers trail across the muscle.

"Since when have I been banned from entering this restaurant?" He asked sarcastically, leaning against a sink. "Last time I checked, anyone who was willing to pay could enter."

"So let me guess, it's just a _coincidence_ that you're here tonight." I said, balancing my hands on my hips, taking a great pleasure when Dimitri's eyes followed my hands to glance at my curves.

"What? You think I _followed_ you?" Dimitri chuckled, disbelief obvious in his stunning brown eyes. "I think it would be wise if you stopped being such a narcissistic brat, and get back to your date." His voice had dropped, his accent becoming more pronounced now that he was angry. Those beautiful eyes that seemed little melted chocolate had hardened into concrete. I backed up against the wall, watching how he put one foot in front on the other to come closer to my panting form.

"_I'm_ a narcissist?" I chuckled in aggravation, pointing my finger at the tall, sexy man before me. Even though I was extremely pissed at him in that moment, I couldn't help but notice how strands of hair fell over his dark eyes, how his chiselled jaw clicked in anger, and how those beautiful, soft lips twisted into a sadistic scowl. Even angry, the man was a god. "You have the nerve to come here when you _knew_ that I had a date, then you proceed to call me narcissistic? You, Dimitri, are the most egotistical person I know, so stop being hypocrite, and just leave me the fuck alone."

"You are a narcissist, Rose!" Dimitri growled taking another step towards me, his face bewildered yet somehow controlled in a fury rage. He growled angrily before spinning around to glare at me again. "You go on and on about how Abe treated you like crap, how he 'dehumanized' you, but you're so consumed in your own fucking self pity that you won't take a second to realize that it goes beyond you!"

"I couldn't give two fucking shits if 'it goes beyond' me!" I yelled, taking a step towards him, fury in my eyes. "You have no right to insult me, Dimitri! You hated me for weeks, done nothing but made my life fucking miserable, and then you kiss me and without any explanation, you leave! What the fuck was that all about?"

"Something came up." He grunted, and eyelevel with me was his beautiful chest, where I could see a pair of black rosary beads. "Nothing that concerns you."

"What about the kiss?" I groaned in anger rubbing my temple as Dimitri leaned against the wall, his dark eyes watching me. "You kissed me!"

"So?" He said with a shrug.

"So, of course," I said, leaning against the wall in frustration. "It would be just a 'so' to you, wouldn't it?"

"Are you mad at me because I kissed you?" Dimitri said in perturbation, his eyes clasped onto mine, and he wouldn't release the unyielding gaze as his pupils searched mine for any indication of what I was feeling. "Last time I checked, it takes _two_ people to share a kiss, Hathaway."

"No! I'm not mad at you for _kissing_ me," I growled angrily, lifting my hand to point at him. "You kissed me, walked away, and then show up at my date. The suspicion of it is uncanny, Belikov."

"That hardly seems fair. If you thought that kiss meant we were together, think again, I gave you the chance to back away."

"Fair? How can you even condone being able to say that to me?" I inquired, feeling a pain spread through my stomach and head. "News flash, I would _never_ want a relationship with a selfish, egocentric dickhead like you."

"Then I guess we're done here." Dimitri growled angrily, his eyes burning holes into my face. "You know, the reason as to why I kissed you is so far beyond me, that I can't see it anymore."

"Oh yeah, that's right- You hate me!" I chuckled, fabricating my happy attitude. "Could have fooled me, with the amount of flirting you do. I knew I should have brushed it off as nothing, I've seen you with other girls, Belikov. Obviously it all went up to my head and _fucked_ _me_ about- what could I ever possibly gain from dating a guy like you?"

"More than what that Andre prick can, anyway." Dimitri growled, tearing his gaze away from me to glare at the bathroom door. I had taken a moment to glance around, and it came to my attention that we were in the men's bathroom.

"Well, excuse me so I can return to that _prick_," I turned my back to walk away, my heels clicking against the tiled floor. I could feel the build up of tears blur my vision and I reached my hand out to pull open the door when it was snapped away, and my small wrist was engulfed a huge, tanned hand. I looked up to see a beautiful pair of brown eyes, curtained by beautiful smooth hair, and a face so serious it was almost painful to look at.

Before I was giving the chance to move or escape, he pressed me lightly against the wall, one hand was on my hip, the other clamp around my wrist shooting electric shocks to pump through my body. My breathing was shaky and my eyes were wide as we looked at each other and once Dimitri was confident I wasn't going to hit him, he released my wrists and moved his hands down were his skin gently caressed my hips. His breathing was just as heavy as mine was, but neither of us spoke a word for a long time, our eyes saying more than what any words could.

"I don't hate you…" He grunted through his harsh breathing, his hands tightening on my hips as my back pressed against the wall.

"Good…" I uttered through a single breathe, my chest rising and falling.

"I wish I could hate you…" He groaned, pressing his forehead to mine as he spoke, his intoxicating breath caressed my face, creating my heart to skip a beat. He spoke as if forming the words that left his lips caused him great pain and agony. "…I want to hate you. I try to hate you. It would be much easier if I did hate you, and then I see you and I-"

"And you what…?" I breathed.

"And I want to do this…"

He swallowed loudly, and his hand trailed around my back, the fabric of my dress lifting slightly as his fingers grazed my body. Electricity pulsed in the millimetres between us, begging for a connection that neither of us was ready to make. Before I had a chance to distance myself, his hand curled upward to hold the back of my neck and he leaned forward just slightly, pressing his lips to mine, softly, sweetly, just a whisper of a touch.

My body stiffened with the first contact, but the longer he lingered on my lips and body, the more his warmth filled me, the more I melted into him. Each of my muscles relaxed, one by one, and I gave him an opening to break through the barrier I had fabricated around myself.

The kiss was something I had never experienced before. It wasn't passionate, lustful, power like I had become accustomed to, it was soft, sweet and our lips stayed gentle and closed around each other, the heat beating between us crackling between us, just begging to be touched. I was hyperaware of his hands around my neck, the searing heat that pulsed between us and his lips gently on mine, loving how his body melted around mine.

After a few more blissful seconds, he backed away, placing a soft, butterfly kiss once on my lips before moving his. The crackling air between us begged to be eradicated, but neither of us made a move to close the distance. Dimitri's hand moved to press against the wall behind my head and he stood before me, doing nothing but looking at me, his eyes dark and yet somehow, extremely bright.

"God, you are so…." He began, his voice thick in some heavy, hungry emotion, swallowing a clump of emotion as he repeated his words. "…you are so beautiful it hurts me sometimes…"

I lifted my hand and placed it around his neck, bringing his face closer to mine as my touched my lips to his. He grasped my hips and pulled me to him, pressing me right up to his body. One of his hands moved up the back of my neck, twining his fingers in my hair and tipping my face up to his. He backed away to look at me before he brought his lips down, barely brushing them against mine.

"Roza…" He muttered against my lips, before moving them back to mine, gentle at first, and the hard and hungry. His kiss consumed me. I melted into his touch, into his kiss and how it burned against my mouth. Pressed against the wall, we clung to each other and kept kissing, his lips, and hands taking possession over my body, every touch like fire to my skin. He stepped back reluctantly when we heard the sound of the door opening, and turning around we saw a middle-aged man who glared at us before going into one of the cubicles. I pressed myself against Dimitri and giggled into his shoulder, loving how he chuckled into my hair, his strong arm wrapping around my small body. I felt so small and protected in his hold- it was nirvana. Perfection. Ecstasy.

"We better go back to our dates," Dimitri groaned into my hair, his lips playing with my head. His fingers caressed my arm softly, starting from elbow to my shoulder, over and over again, but I knew he was right, no matter how much I didn't want to move. I separated from his insanely hot body, and rubbed the back of my neck, picking up my clutch bag before looking at the beautiful man before me.

"I better head out first, so it doesn't look suspicious." I said, walking towards the door, not wanting to leave.

"Yeah." Was all Dimitri said, his darks watching me as I left.

I tried to sort out my hair and dress as I walked towards Andre, seeing him sit there impatiently; I felt a pang in my stomach. I sat down, feeling guilty as I placed my bag on my lap looking at the beautiful man before me.

"Sorry it took so long, I couldn't find my way to the ladies room." I lied, "This place is huge!"

"Don't worry about it, honestly," He said with a smirk, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Dimitri sneaking back to his table, running a hand through his signature sex hair. I cleared my throat, began rubbing the back of neck hopefully disguising my blush and I crossed my legs, for obvious reasons. "I hope you don't mind, but the waitress came around and I ordered for you. I know what you like due to many late night lessons."

"As long as it's not caviar, I don't mind," I chuckled, feeling a pair of dark eyes on my body. The urge to turn around and smirk at Dimitri was there, and it was strong, but I resisted even though I knew he was staring holes into my back. Andre continued to talk, his attention solely on me, and my attention on nothing but the piercing gaze that weighed on my shoulders. I continued the night, eating and talking but always there, floating around my mind, was Dimitri and that gentle kiss we had shared in the bathroom, and somehow, the night seemed slightly more bearable.

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_Pleaseeee remember to review :)_

_To all those that have? You guys rock, and I LOVE you *throws virtual cookie* thank you to anyone who has supported this story. I apreciate it :D_

_That little blue link down there? Go on.. press it ;}_

xoxoxo


	10. Chapter 10

**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The orginal content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

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_Bonjour! :D Okay, so here's chapter ten :D I just wanna thank those people who left me nice, lovely reviews, especially the amazingly long ones :P They made me smile, and you guys literally make my day ahaha! :D Valdeh has chapter 11 now, so hopefully that'll be updated soon within the next couple of days? :D Again, thanks and DO NOT forgot to review..and to all you lazy people who couldn't be bothered? You suck. I'm only joking, haha, appreciate the time you're taking to read my story, but it doesn't take much to click the blue link at the bottom and leave a comment or opinion on the story xoxoxo_

**HUGE HUGE HUGE **_thanks to my amazing beta Valdeh. She is the best, seriously, and if it wasn't for her pushing me this probably wouldn't have been updated today ahaha, Love ya Val! xoxo _

**Chapter Songs**

_** Boulevard of Broken Dreams- Greenday _

_**You and Me- Lifehouse_

_ **Search and Destroy- 30 Seconds to Mars_

_**Enjoy :D xox**_

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**Chapter ten- **Paranoia wrapped in paper...

**"In time we hate that which we often fear"~ William Shakespeare**_  
_

_**Dimitri…**_

Dimitri sat in his father's truck, the inside dusty and clattered. Since the old man had become paralysed the truck had been abandoned and through the months, the truck had become caked in dirt and dust. The windows needed a serious scrubbing and the interior needed some other fragrance other then the overwhelming stench of rotting leather. Dimitri's fingers tapped against the steering wheels as he scrutinised the old warehouse, how the roof had decayed creating huge gaps in its tiled roof, the building looked run down but because it was in a very secluded part of town, so no one cared that it looked like shit or that it had the potential to collapse and crush someone.

Granted, the only type of people that this building would crush; though, would be thugs, like Dimitri. Abe had taken a liking to meeting his associates here, signing for shipments, and, meeting for consignments here and do any other tasks or orders that needed to be fulfilled. Eddie sat in his friends broken down car, and every few moments he would look at Dimitri, his perusing eyes secure and taut on Dimitri, waiting for him to give the signal.

Abe had ordered his men to take different vehicles when meeting with associates, mainly for the fact that they wouldn't be able to relate any links if the cars were different at every time they met. It also provided greater protection against fired bullets, which a motorcycle wouldn't have. Dimitri analysed the warehouse and from the corner of his eye, he caught a glance of a small, inconspicuous blue car that looked like any other normal civilian's vehicle. Dimitri's grip tightened on his handgun, and he placed it in his pocket never taking his eyes off the smaller car, he raised his hand and gave Eddie the signal. Dimitri's task was to make it seem as though Eddie had been the one to have received the cargo, but take it himself and return it to Abe, and if Dimitri caught anyone following Eddie, he followed them and finished what he had been assigned to do: Kill.

There had been a growing suspicion throughout the organisation, doubts that the cargo and shipments had been faulty due to a betrayal on the associates part. Abe didn't take chances and now, with every order, the same procedure applied. Switch and follow. If the situation deemed correct, he was given permission to kill. His hand tightened on the gun, and he pulled it out of his pocket again as Eddie stepped out of the car, hands in pockets as he strolled to walk before the car. Dimitri knew that in his co-workers hand was his own gun but his weapon was to stay hidden so as to not be seen as a threat by one of Victor's men, who was one of Abe's associates; which would cause them to open fire.

His eyes stayed tight and focused on the middle aged man who stepped out of the run down blue Honda. Dimitri remembered to take in his appearance: Battered, wrinkled face, greying hair and a hunched body. There was more to the eye however, as Dimitri knew that a man that weak wouldn't be put on a task this significant. He had no doubt that this man probably had some hidden talents and there were more or likely other men in the battered blue car. Without ripping his eyes from the men in front of him he pulled down the glove compartment and found a pocket knife that he had put there, placing it in his pocket.

The men in the Honda couldn't see the truck that Dimitri sat in, so with one last sigh he stepped outside and made himself visible to the two men, along with any others in the blue car. He strolled over and stood in front of the man, and Dimitri's suspicions had been proved right when a tall, thick man stepped outside of the car and joined the smaller, sick form, of his colleague while keeping his eyes firm on Dimitri and Eddie.

"Where's the case?" Eddie asked, looking at the smaller man who obviously held the authority.

"We'll ask the questions," The old man said, his voice letting off a rough, Russian accent, one far more pronounced that Dimitri's. "How do we know you're the real guys? Leaks have been going into our circle and the union's not exactly happy with the arrangements being laid here."

"Dude, you're being paid to follow your orders, neither of us have the authority to ask questions," Eddie growled, his arm twitching as his fingers tightened on the gun in his grasp. "So how about you just follow the rules of transmission and hand me the shipments."

"We're going to need some proof that you're the right guys," The taller man barked, his voice just as rough as the smaller mans, only void of a Russian accent. "We can't take the risk, I'm sure you understand that."

Eddie stayed quiet for a long time and turned to give Dimitri a sharp nod before looking at the thugs before him. "My name's Eddie Castile." The men sized him up, inspecting every inch of him before looking at Dimitri.

"And who are you, kid?" The smaller man asked, his dark eyes looking at Dimitri's face intently.

"Dimitri Belikov."

The two men looked at each other with wide eyes and looked at Dimitri again, awe in their expressions. "_The_ Dimitri Belikov? As in… Anton's son?"

Dimitri gave no audible reply and continued to stare the men down, he didn't like giving out any more information that deemed necessary, but he nodded once, creating the old man's eyes to widen. "You're the kid who Victor's been banging on about? Hey, we heard about your solo raid on the Badica's repository…Impressive, kid. Not even I could have done that."

Dimitri nodded once, not really liking being praised on something that was morally wrong and disgusting. He stared them down and continued to stay quiet, causing the couple in front of him to look away in fear. Dimitri may have only been eighteen but he was known by a few unions, and a lot of them wanted him. Abe had no problem killing his own men if they made incredibly stupid mistakes, but Dimitri knew his position was secure and the only thing he would be murdered for was betrayal- He was far too valuable.

"Okay, we're the guys." Eddie stated, getting slightly impatient as he looked at the men before him. "Hand over what we came here for."

Eddie shoved his hand in his pocket and whipped out a big, brown envelope obviously filled with money that was promised for their superiors. The case in which the couple held was extremely valuable, filled with drugs, contact information and sublet forms, all things that were used as an asset in Abe and Eric's unions. Contact information brought him human traffickers, Drug smugglers, illegal immigration details and arm traffickers, the leases and sublets gave them the opportunity to own or rent apartments, houses, residences that he could keep his prostitutes or any person who could be of great use to them. Abe and Eric made a lot of money through pandering and procuring; which began when they started to operate a prostitute business where they trafficked people into the country solely for the purpose of soliciting sex. By working for them, Abe signed their leases, which gave them somewhere to live until they were shipped or trafficked into another state or country.

"Okay." The small man said, looking at Dimitri and Eddie before clicking his fingers, obviously his signal to his men. Before Dimitri had a chance to look, a round, fat man walked towards him with the briefcase filled with details. "There will be other shipments coming from Viktor throughout the month, but Mazur knows those arrangements. Hand over the payments."

Eddie grabbed the briefcase and handed the envelope carefully into the man's sleazy hands, a large smile growing on his wrinkled, withered face. Eddie turned his back and walked towards his car where he turned and looked at the men, the case in his hands. Dimitri stayed and looked at the men, his hand on his gun as he waited for them to get into their cars. Once he was sure that they wouldn't put a bullet through his head, he turned around and walked towards his car, ready for step two of the procedure. Spin around the corner and collect the case from Eddie's car, watching for any sign of chasers.

Dimitri highly doubted Eddie would be caught, he had given his cover name and no one had ever heard of Eddie Castile. Everyone knew Edison Mazur, the precarious son of Ibrahim Mazur, the crafty old man who lead criminal gangs and organised illegal affairs and businesses. It didn't hurt to be cautious though, and as soon as Dimitri parked next to Eddie's car, the case was flung through the open window, and Eddie sped away so fast that no one would have had a chance to understand and contemplate what had just occurred between them.

He stayed where he was, looking at the entrance of the warehouse alley, waiting for the blue Honda to drive out. Approximately ten minutes later, the car reeved out of the small, narrow road and turned in the opposite direction Eddie had moved. Dimitri released a huge breath of relief and began driving in the direction of Mazur Manor where Abe, Eric, Andre and Eddie would be waiting.

With Andre in mind, he was immediately brought images of the night before, and his hands clenched tighter on the steering wheel as pictures of a stunning brunette came to mind. The way he had kissed her was totally unexpected on his part, he had been annoyed and pissed at her and if someone had told him twenty-four hours before that he would kiss her after a fight, he would expected it to be rough, hard…but it was the complete opposite. The way he had kissed her was something he had never experienced before, and he found himself quite surprised when he realized that he actually _liked_ it. He was used to hard, rough, lustful kisses with that day's sluts legs wrapped tightly around him, but with Rose? He gave her barely there kisses, sweet, gentle and he held her in his arms as if he were afraid that she might disappear.

Just as Dimitri shifted the gear to turn the corner, he saw a frantic young couple waving him down, both of their arms above their heads as they waited for him to stop. They were standing outside of St. Basil's Academy, where a lot of his friends attended. He looked at the couple and wondered if they were students at the academy, but he doubted it, they looked like they were college kids. He pulled up none the less and looked at the guy.

He had brown hair and green eyes, dressed in something a little too smart for this side of town, and next to him was a beautiful blonde with hazel eyes, both of them looking more than confused as they glanced at Dimitri. He knew the girl liked what she saw because she immediately began twirling her hair around her finger and a smile erupted from her pink lips.

"Hey hot stuff," She flirted giving Dimitri a wink as she twirled her hair. The man turned around and glared at her before turning back to Dimitri.

"Hey, sorry to stop you man, but we're kind of lost." He said, rubbing the back of his neck as he narrowed his eyes against the heat of the sun.

Dimitri was hyper aware that the briefcase was completely visible for anyone to see, and he didn't know who this kid was. He could have been anyone, from one of Victor's men to just a desperate college kid looking for some joints.

"Where you looking to go?" Dimitri asked, letting his hand hang over the window, letting it rest there comfortably. He noticed how the girl stared at his arms in appreciation, but he ignored her.

"Ah, Mazur Mansion? Or Manor…something like that?" The fella said, looking in every direction. "We can't find it anywhere."

Suspicion and apprehension pulsed through Dimitri's heated body and he looked out unto the road before looking at the couple. "Sorry, I've never heard of it." He lied, bringing his arm back in to start the car. He didn't say goodbye as he roared down the road, willing to get as far away as possible from them. He didn't know who they were, and like Abe said, never take the chance. That one mistake could end up with you having your knee's bashed in, or even result in your death.

He continued to drive, the sun beating in through the window as he came closer to Mazur Manor, the whole time a variegated amount of images played through his mind. Finally, he parked outside the iron gates, his truck choking and wheezing as he stopped. He climbed out and pressed the button on the voice box, gaining entry almost immediately. Once he heard the buzz that indicated his accepted entry, he climbed back into his father's truck and drove up the long driveway, finally coming to a stop outside the large mahogany door. He grabbed the briefcase and ran a hand down his black, V- neck top before walking up the stones steps to the large door.

He gave three powerful knocks and waited for a reply. Within a few seconds the door opened to reveal a stunning dirty-fair haired woman, and Dimitri knew straight away that this was Abe's wife, Holly.

"Mrs. Mazur." Dimitri greeted with a nod. Holly sized him up and down, a smirk on her lips. She may have been in her forties, but Dimitri could appreciate how hot she still was. He smiled as she allowed him in, opening the door wide as he strolled through the threshold.

"My husband is up in his office." She stated, smirking at him once more before escorting him up into the office. She duplicated what Corina had done the previous day and gave a few powerful knocks to the door. Almost straight away, the door opened to reveal Eddie who greeted Dimitri with a nod of the head. He stepped inside, and the door was closed behind them. The office looked just as it had the day before, only now there were more people than just Abe and himself; Eric Dragomir leaned against the wall, a gin and tonic in his hand as he assessed Dimitri, Andre standing next to him, an angry glare on his face. Because Eddie and Dimitri had been the ones accomplishing the task, they stood before Eric, Abe and Andre, sitting themselves down simultaneously, waiting for Abe to speak.

"Where is the case?" His rough, accented voice growled his eyes like daggers as they stabbed Dimitri and Eddie.

Dimitri picked up the briefcase that he had set on the floor and placed it side down on the thick table, before sliding it forwards into Abe's grasp. His tanned hands clamped onto the black leather case and he immediately began to click in the code for the case to unlock. With a few little ticks, the case bounced open and obviously everything was there because a smirk lifted itself on Abe's mouth as he closed the case again, handing it to Eric who kept it in his left hand like it was his most prized possession.

"Subsequent to Edison's departure, did you see anyone follow him?" Abe asked, joining his fingers as he questioned Dimitri.

"No, Sir," Dimitri told truthfully, "Once I received the case, and Eddie left, I stayed in the only opening of the warehouse and waited for Victor's men to leave. They drove in the opposite direction."

Abe grunted in approval and stood up, walking around his large desk to stand before us. "Were there any difficulties in obtaining the shipment?" He asked, his eyes narrowing in on his son.

"Not much trouble, sir," Eddie replied smoothly, "They mentioned that mistrust has been leaked through their union, and they think one of their own men has betrayed them. They obviously thought we were a set up."

"And they asked for proof of your identities?" Eric asked from behind, watching us carefully. Andre sat next to him, his own rosary peaking from his shirt.

"Yes, sir." Eddie replied, "I gave my cover name in concern of being followed."

Eric nodded and Abe turned to look at Dimitri. "What about you, boy?"

"I stated my real name." He told; folding his arms as Abe looked at him.

"You know Victor has been interesting in acquiring you…" Abe taunted, "Weren't you worried that his men would try to overwhelm you, and maybe bring you to New York where you'd be held against your will?"

"I'm not afraid of them, Sir," Dimitri truthfully said, clearing his throat as he leaned forward in his chair. "If I had feared what they would do, I wouldn't have given them my name."

"Courageous." Eric grunted, taking a sip of his drink, "A quality to be admired. Well done, Belikov."

"Thank you, Boss."

Abe nodded in approval, followed shortly by Eric's inclining head as he duplicated Abe's gesture. Andre stayed quiet and glared at Dimitri, his eyes a furious green and his mouth upturned in a disgusting growl. Dimitri knew that Andre was aware of his liking towards Rose; the blonde haired man had caught him looking at her a good few times at the restaurant and it was obvious that the Dragomir was extremely jealous. Andre knew what Rose had been doing, what with her coming back with blushed cheeks and messy hair and a crimsoned face Dimitri leaving the toilets only moments after her, she would have taken him as a fool for not realizing.

Andre continued to glare at Dimitri, who ignored his scowls, too busy listening to Abe's queries and worries towards the union.

"Good, you accomplished what was asked of you perfectly without any complications." Abe said thankfully, "You may leave, a message will be sent once we are in need of your services again." Abe gave Dimitri a pointed glare, watching him as he stood to up to leave his superiors. Dimitri nodded his head once, and left the office without a second glance- Eddie, Eric, Abe and Andre stayed in the study, watching him as he left.

He darted down the stairs and got into his father's truck, where he could go home, pour himself something to drink and wallow in his own thoughts of the beautiful brunette whom he had enclosed in his arms the night before.

**XXX**

_**Rose…**_

"OH MY GOD!" I screeched everywhere, causing Tasha to dive from her seat to cover my mouth with her tattooed hand. My mind began clicking as events joined together, everything fitting like a perfect puzzle piece, creating a picture so clear I must have been stupid not to have seen it before.

"Will you _shut_ _up_?" My friend whispered loudly into my ear, her hand still covering my mouth which begged to be opened. "Christian and Lissa are only in the other room!"

I murmured against her hand, muffled squeals of shock, excited and disbelief. I should have expected it based on the way she had behaved once I read her text messages, but the words actually being said allowed created a feeling of great complacency to pulse through me. I lifted my hand and moved hers away from my eager mouth, replacing them with my own as I stared at her with wide eyes. "I thought you hated her!"

"I _did_!" My friend said; her eyes as wide as mine, her tattooed arms extended as she tried to calm me. "I honestly did. It was actually the day you came to school that I started talking to her!"

We sat on my bed in our shared room, neither of us speaking a word as we stared at each other. Finally, after seeing my impatience and curiosity that she continued her story. "After I left you with your brother, I went to have a cigarette and right there on _my_ cigarette spot, was Sonya. We talked and it kind of just escalated from there."

"But she's straight!" I protested, leaning back into the soft embrace of my fluffy white pillow. I gazed at the wide, white ceiling and thoughts ran wildly through my mind. I could feel the caress of Tasha's eyes and I could see that she was waiting patiently, her expression indicating that she expected me to blow up any second. I smiled at her reassuringly.

"Obviously not if she's dating me," Tasha said, a smile on her face. She ran a tattooed hand through her messy crop, her eyes bright as she looked at Rose. "Can you remember that time when she came up, and we caught you singing to a carrot?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, she was coming in so we could hook up." Tasha chuckled, folding her inked legs underneath her as she reached across for a cigarette, the smoke escaping through her cracked lips as a huge smile spread across her face. She continued to inhale her cigarette as I stared at her in disbelief.

"Seriously?" I choked, not able to believe it, Tasha's second hand smoke entering my lungs, the smell burning my nostrils. "Okay, well, I'm sorry for cock blocking." I kind of felt a sneaking sense of pleasure at the fact, considering how Tasha had been the one to cock block the make out session between Dimitri and me.

The beautiful man who had kissed me against the wall so sweetly in the bathroom hadn't left my mind. The same thoughts of his lips upon mine ran through my mind like crazy, how his skin felt upon mine and how it left electric shocks to throb and pulse through my veins. My lips tingled in remembrance of the gentle onslaught that was Dimitri's kiss, my abounding mind packed with outlandish thoughts.

"ROSE!" Christian yelled loudly from the living room. "SOMEONE'S ON THE PHONE FOR YOU!"

I glimpsed at Tasha before standing up, straightening out my pyjama bottoms as I did. Fortunately, for me, I could stay in my pyjamas whereas Tasha had to get ready for school. Lissa had come by earlier, planning on entering school with the Ozera twins, hopefully promulgating their relationship for all to see, finally getting it out into the open. Lissa knew what she getting herself into; Social suicide. I found myself admiring her considerably more once she brushed the possibility of her being slandered, telling me that nothing mattered except being with Christian.

I shook my head at Tasha before strolling into the living room, formulating ideas on what I would do to make the lonely day move faster. Christian and Lissa sat on the couch, wrapped in each others arms. Christian pressed his lips to his girlfriends head and she snuggled further into his embrace. I smiled at them contently before pressing the phone to my ear, expecting to hear the voice of Andre.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rose," My brother's voice remarked, his words slow and apprehensive. "It's Eddie."

"Oh, hey Eddie." I said, leaning against the couch, "Why are you calling?"

"I honestly don't have a clue how you're going to take this," He said, sounding a little perplexed. "Are you…are you alone?"

"What?" I asked, not being able to help the panic that pulsed through my voice. "No, Christian and Lissa are here."

"Lissa?" Eddie asked, sounded even more confounded than before. "What's Lissa doing in your apartment?"

"That's not important." I choked, standing up to walk out into the hall where no one could hear my reactions. Christian and Lissa watched me as I left, but I effectively ignored them. "What is it you need to talk to me about?"

"Your mom." He said, and immediately my stomach filled in fear and anguish, my heart beating increasing in beats and speed. I pressed a hand to my trembling mouth and leaned against the wall, waiting for any bad news that Eddie was about to deliver. "She called Dad."

I released a huge sigh and slumped against the wall, pressing a hand to my forehead as I exhaled the panic that had quickly built in my body. "What did she say?"

"She wanted to speak with you, but Abe had to tell her that you'd left Mazur Manor," Eddie reported, "To say she was mad would be an understatement; I think it would be a great idea if you called her. I think she wanted to tell you something."

"Did she sound worried?" I asked, praying that she would be.

"Honestly? No. She just seemed pissed," My brother said truthfully, clearing his throat as he did. "I need to start heading to the academy, I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay." I said, taking the phone from my ear, pressing the hang up button as I leaned against the wall in dejection. After moments of heavy breathing and a vacant mind, I collected myself and walked back into the house, putting the phone back into the receiver as I sat down on the couch, ignoring the expressions that crossed Christian and Lissa's face.

"Everything okay, Rose?" Lissa asked; her cute smile not as powering as it usually was, her nerves making it hard for her to stay optimistic.

"Yeah, fine." I said with a smile and a shrug, pretending that nothing worrying was flittering around the corners of my conscious mind. This was the first time I had so much as heard a word from my mother in two months and the possibility of speaking to her again sent waves of shock and fear throughout my hallow body. I couldn't wrap my head around the thought of her voice, disappointed and annoyed like I remembered it again. Lissa and Christian looked at me once before turning their attention back to the TV. Within minutes, Tasha came out, dressed in her usual black attire, her badge clad backpack over her left shoulder.

"We ready to leave?" She asked, running a hand through her hair as she leaned against her bedroom door frame, looking cool and nonchalant as always.

Lissa turned to look at Christian, kissing the tip of his nose before standing up to stretch. "Yeah, let's go." She said, shortly followed by Christian's lanky form. The couple and Tasha started for the door when I quickly jumped up, walking towards the door to watch as they left. The moment the door closed, the weight of loneliness weighed on my shoulders, and as I stared at the black phone many thoughts and images passed through my mind.

I knew I would have to call my mother at some stage, and the quicker I did it, the sooner it would be over and done with. With an exasperated groan and sigh, I took the first step towards the telephone, already dreading the sound of my mother's voice. I stood in front of the small telephone table, looking down on the small black object, almost willing myself to move my hand to feel it clenched in my grasp. With one more sigh, I extended my arm and lifted the phone up, dialling in the number I had learned by heart, and pressed the device to my ear, hearing the constant drone of the rings blearing through the phone.

The urge to hang up was there, and it was strong. After the sixth ring, I pulled the phone away from ear before realizing that someone had answered. I pressed it back to my ear quickly and replied.

"Hello?" I said quickly, hoping I hadn't missed the person on the other end. It would have been embarrassing to ring a second time. "Anyone there?"

"_Rose_?" My step-sister's nasally voice asked in disbelief and I could almost seeing the disgusted expression on her unattractive face.

"Where's mom?" I asked her through a sigh, already regretting lifting the phone.

"Why are you calling?"

"Abby! Will you _please_ shut up and get mom." I growled angrily, pinching the bridge of my nose as I leaned against the wall. "Your stupid, nasally voice is the last thing I want to hear first thing in the morning."

"Still a cunt, I see." She murmured tearing the phone away from her ear. Through the phone, I could hear her scream 'MOM!' and I waited patiently, hearing my mother's steps tap off the floor. There was a rustling sound and I knew as soon as her phone pressed against her ear, that she was there.

"Hello?" She said, her voice sounded exactly like I remembered and although we had spent months apart, it felt like only hours ago she was kicking me out of the home I had become so accustomed to.

"It's Rose."

There was no noise, and for a moment, I thought she had hung up. I sighed and just as I was about to place the phone back into the receiver, I heard her sigh too, causing me to slump in relief.

"What are you doing, Rose?" She asked; anger stitched through her words. "Why are you calling?"

"My step-brother Eddie said, ah, that you rang Abe's house?" I asked, covering my eyes with my hands as I slumped against the wall, sliding down it to sit on the floor. "Asking for me?"

"Where are you?" She asked, completely ignoring my question.

"At a friends…" I said, not being able to control the dejected feeling the spread through my body like cancer. Talking to her again, letting her words affect me caused memories of New York and all my friends there to come back, and it hurt to think that everyone was moving on without me. It was as though I was wiped from everyone's mind and they just didn't care. I barely drank anymore, I hadn't smoked in what felt like years, no drugs had been in my system for months and the last time I had sex was so long ago that I could barely remember. I felt like a new girl, and yet with my mother, I felt like the same immature, crazy girl who was yelled and screamed at every day for her childish ways. Janine used the tactics that Abe did: make them feel so low about themselves, make them feel like shit and then control them. I guess she got something out of her years of a hectic marriage with Abe.

"What the fuck are you doing at a _friends_ house?" My mother screeched down the phone, "Wasn't the agreement that if you stayed at your father's house, you wouldn't be sent to prison."

"He let me go!" I yelled, feeling tears clog in my eyes, almost willing myself to stay strong. "He didn't want me anymore."

"And why don't I find that surprising?" She asked angrily, "Even your father couldn't find something worth fighting for in you."

I let one tear trickle from my head and hit my head on the wall, closing my eyes tights as more tears threatened to fall. I couldn't let her get to me like this, I just couldn't.

"You know what, Eddie said you called to talk to _me_, okay?" I choked through my tears. "If you don't want to talk any more, fine."

"Rose, stop the melodrama," My mother said, "You're still my daughter, no matter what shit you put yourself through. Stop acting as though you're the one who has to live through hell. You think I don't miss having you here? Of course I do! You're my only baby!"

"Well, you sent your _only_ _baby_ away without a hint of remorse, you didn't even check to see if I was doing okay," I whimpered down the phone taking a huge, shaky breath as I continued to speak. "You _know_ how much I hate staying with Abe, mom, and yet you sent me away. You divorced the man; you know what it's like!"

"Honey, your father had the money to get you out; I didn't," My mom whimpered, and I was almost sure I could hear her voice crack as she held in tears. "I just… I just needed a break! I can't stand what you're doing to yourself, and I hoped staying with your father would help you _see_ what you're putting yourself through is wrong!"

"I haven't done anything wrong since I left New York!"

"Well, maybe LA is healthy for you then…just…stay with your friends," My mother said, and I could almost see her run a hand through her fiery curly hair. "I think New York is a bad influence on you, baby."

"Fine, whatever," I said, sniffing loudly as I wiped my drenched cheeks, "So what now? Do we just go back to ignoring each other?"

"No, I don't want that," She replied and a short laugh left her mouth, "I miss you too much."

I let a sad laugh escape my lips, and I felt such love in me that I wanted to be sick. It felt so unbelievable being able to hear this from my mom, a woman that I hadn't heard a nice word from in such a long time, a woman I thought _hated_ me.

"I miss you too." I admitted feeling my chin tremble.

I heard her sniff through the friction of the phone and I waited for her to speak. "There's something I want to talk to you about, baby." She choked, and I heard fabric rustling as she dried her eyes. "Your friends are in LA, looking for you."

"What?" I said, jumping up from my corner into the air, surprise pulping through me. I paced around the room and pressed a hand to my head, the overwhelming feeling of seeing my friends again sending shocks and a chain reaction of excitement to pulse through my jittering body. "Who?"

"The handsome boy and the blonde girl with that absurd lily tattoo." She stated.

"Oh my god, I cannot _believe_ this!" I cried down the phone, "Mom, I have to go, I'll call you later, okay?"

She laughed loudly down the phone. "Okay baby, it was good talking to you."

"You too, mom."

"I love you, baby."

"Love you, too."

With that, I pulled the phone from my ear, staring at the black device as if it was the answer to every good thing that had been happening lately. I yelped in euphoria and squealed as I bounced around the empty apartment. I was still in my pyjamas, and I didn't have a car, but I knew exactly where I had to go and what I was going to do. I ran into my bedroom and threw on the first thing I saw which just so happened to be three-quarter length track bottoms and a baggy belly top. I threw on my black Converse and looked around the bedroom, hoping Tasha kept an address book of some sort. Finally, after much search my eyes fell upon a small black book with a stickered skeleton on the front. I flicked through it and found the address I was rummaging for.

I jogged into the living room, walking out the front door as I held the small black book in my excited hand. I dialled the number into my cell, pressing the silver phone to my ear as the droning rings from the phone buzzed through to my ear. After the fourth ring, he answered.

"What?" He greeted.

"What a lovely way to answer the phone." I said, jogging down the stairs and into the lobby.

"_Rose_?" He choked and I could hear the surprise in his words.

"You guessed it."

"Is there a specific reason you called?" Dimitri asked, and in the background, I could hear the sound of glass lightly hit a surface. "Or was your desultory call an obscured excuse to hear my voice?"

"Shut up, and let me talk," I said, jogging towards the bus stop. "Where are you?"

"At home."

"You aren't in school?"

"I just said I was at home," Dimitri said, "Why would I say I was at home, if I was in school?"

"Well, why aren't you at the Academy?"

"I think the correct question is; why aren't _you_ at the Academy?"

"How do you know I'm not?"

"Because I can't feel the suffocating atmosphere of boredom and death," Dimitri sarcastically pronounced, and I could hear as he swallowed something, more than likely, alcohol. "Plus, I can hear cars pass in the background."

"Yeah, I thought that," I chuckled into phone as I saw a bus drive up the road as I reached the tall metal pole that stood as a bus stop. "I'm coming to yours."

"I knew you couldn't resist me," He joked, and I could hear that same noise of glass hitting a surface. "It was only a matter of time before you threw yourself at me."

"The way I see it, Dickitri, is that _you've_ been the one throwing yourself at _me_, so shut it, pretty boy." I joked, the big grey bus stopping right in front of me. "Hold on." I said into the phone. I jumped onto the cluttered bus, rummaging through my pockets as I searched for some money. Finally, I located some coins, giving him the exact amount as he handed me my ticket, allowing me to take a seat. I walked down the narrow aisle, taking the first empty seat I saw, pressing the silver phone back to my ear.

"I'm on the bus, I'll be there soon."

"Can I ask _why_ you're coming to my house?" He asked; amusement stitched through his words.

"I'll explain once I get there."

With that, I hung up and waited patiently on the bus, the bumps causing me to slide in my seat as I pointlessly tried to gaze at the beautiful scenery. Looking around me, inspecting the people that surrounded my pleased form, I suddenly felt so much happier. My mother was speaking to me again; the possibility of being united with my friends was so close that I could almost taste it. I closed my eyes and leaned against the uncomfortable plastic, padded chairs, thinking about the night before.

After a very sophisticated meal and a lovely conversation, Andre had given me a lift home, kissing me softly on the lips as he left me at my door. It was sweet, and it was gentle but it lacked any chemistry and connection that had passed between Dimitri and me. The stupid, naïve thoughts that passed through me every time I thought of that sweet moment in the bathroom were driving me crazy. It wasn't something to be getting all hot and bothered about- it was just for fun. Dimitri didn't do relationships and I had never been in one, both of our lives circulating around the vitality of the lonely person; hooking up, and then ditching, never letting our feelings get in the way. I didn't expect anything more from Dimitri, and I sure as hell knew he didn't expect anything more from me.

After half an hour on the crowded bus, I finally came to the stop that brought me closest to Dimitri's home. I had never been inside, but one day, coming home from school, Tasha had pointed it out, and at the time I memorized it in the possibility that I could one day egg it. I walked down the crowded aisle of the bus and thanked the driver before hopping off. It was a five minute walk from the bus stop to his house, so I lifted one foot in front of the other and began walking.

Soon, the long, wide path became spiralled and narrow, and soon, Dimitri's cute, yellow house came into view. It was surrounded by a thick forest and the whole place looked like it had just jumped from the inside of a fairy tale book. I stopped, taking a moment to compose myself before I willed myself to walk, sauntering up the wooden steps and towards the cheap, yellow door as I clench my fist, knocking it against its wood.

At first, there was no response to my knocks, but just as I was about to clench my fists again, the door opened to reveal a seriously scarred man, with a withered face and dead eyes, who sat in a wheelchair. At first, he did nothing but stare, a crooked, morbid smile tugged on his lips, showing me a set of chipped, yellow teeth. In his hand was a remote control and a tin of beer, and immediately, the over powering scent of alcohol whacked me across the face.

"Who're you?" The man asked; his voice raucous and coarse as his beady, crass eyes watched me.

"Ah, Dimitri's friend." I stated, not completely confident in giving this man my name. I was willing to bet all the money in my pocket that this was Dimitri's father, and Christian had been right. Anton Belikov was not nice to look at, matching the withered, reddened skin and yellow crooked teeth; he had scars all over his face and arms, the prominent of most being one that tugged from his eyebrow to his nose, slicing through his left eye and a long, jagged purple one, leading from his temple to his jaw. Contemplating how he had acquired these scars sent shivers down my spine.

"I'm asking for your name, missus." He growled, wheeling himself onto the porch.

"Rose."

Suddenly, the man's eyes widened and his ugly grin expanded, causing nausea to bubble in my stomach. I tried looking over his wheelchair to see if his son was there, but all I could concentrate on was the creepy old man who was coming closer to me every second.

"Dad?" I heard behind me. I spun around quicker than I had ever moved in my life to see the shirtless form of Dimitri. Even slightly unhinged and terrified, I had to stop in my fear, to appreciate what was before me. I had never seen Dimitri topless before, and boy, was that my loss. He had obviously been doing some hard labour, because his perfectly, defined six pack glistened with a sexy sheen of sweat, the sun glinting off it, creating the most erotic contrast on his skin. His pecks begged to be touched as his rosary beads fell between them. His shoulders, broad, tanned and sexy, called to me, and I could feel the urge to fold my legs, and tame the hungry monster between them. His jeans rode low on his waist, bringing more emphasise on the sexy slither of muscles that cascaded upwards in an entrancing V, the image playing with my body more than I would have liked.

"Dimitri," I practically drooled, placing one foot in front of the other to lightly float towards him.

"Dad, fuck off, seriously," Dimitri growled, looking at his father, his deep, manly voice compelled obedience, and his father complied, giving him a vulgar look before wheeling himself back into the moderate house. He glared at the front door until it was closed tight, and as soon as the wood collided with the frame, Dimitri's hands were on my waist, and my fingers hooked into his belt hoops, pulling his hard, hot body towards mine. He looked down on me, his eyes dark, menacing as he searched me, lifting a hand to push back a stray hair on my face, causing goose bumps to rise on my flesh.

"Which service of mine do you demand today, Roza?" Dimitri purred, wrapping his arms around me as we looked at each other. I could feel his muscled arms contract as he pressed me closer to him, and I could barely breathe, fully aware that Dimitri's hot, sexy, _naked_ chest was right in front of me, begging to be licked.

"I need to ask you a question, actually." I choked through my desire, _willing_ to hide how much he was impacting my behaviour and mind.

"Ask away." He purred, walking backwards, me still in his arms as he back tracked towards his truck. His strong arms lifted me from behind, and set me on top of a blue truck, where he immediately separated my legs and lodged himself between them. I gasped and my heartbeat increased, causing my words to get stuck in my throat, and a sexy smirk to ripple from Dimitri's luscious lips. "What's the matter, Roza?" He purred; skimming his nose at the corner of my jaw, almost taunting me to admit how much his half naked body affected me.

"Nothing," I lied, placing my hands on his shoulders, loving how immediately his skin rose in goose bumps at my touch. "I just wanted to ask you whether or not you've seen some friends of mine."

"Christian and Tasha?" He chuckled into my neck, his teeth grazing my skin, causing me to shudder in his arms.

"No, Adrian and Sydney…" I breathed into his hair, loving how his lips were stuck to my neck. Ever since the previous night, there had been an electric connection pulsing between us, and the solace I felt when we're together was like I had taken a huge breath of fresh air after hours of being underwater. The satisfaction and contentment I felt shouldn't have been there, but it was and I had to accept that he made me feel like the sexiest, most protected and safe girl in the world. His strong arms around me, made me feel small and perfect.

"Who?" He grunted, his hands clasping onto my back, his touch causing the fabric of my top to rise, exposing a lot of skin, which Dimitri immediately took advantage off, his beautiful, tanned hands clamping onto the soft bare skin of my waist and back.

"Adrian and Sydney," I moaned, my back arching as his kisses moved from the hallow of my neck, his head right under my chin. "Guy, reasonably cute with brownish, bronzy hair and green eyes. And then the girl, blonde haired, hazel eyes, pretty with a golden lily tattoo on her cheek."

Dimitri suddenly stiffened in my arms, and his muscles contracted under my hands, causing me to lean back against the truck as I looked at the guy before me. "Have you seen them?"

His eyes averted from mine and he suddenly leaned over my figure, which sprawled across the truck's trunk. His arms caged me to the hot metal and his sexy body hovered over mine. His shoulder length hair had been tied back but a few strands fell over his face, framing his sexy eyes perfectly. "No, I haven't seen them." He said, pressing his lips to mine as he pressed his body against me. Because I was lying down, the pressure of his body over mine was great and I loved how his lips prodded mine, how his pelvis pressed harshly against me, and how his lips dominated me, sparks flying wildly between us as the distance was eradicated.

He moaned and his lips curved around mine, one of his hands sliding under my top to touch my toned stomach. I could feel the vibration of his growl as his lips savagely took mine, he backed away momentarily to look at me, giving me a feral smirk before bending down as he took his teeth and bit my lower lip, tugging it harshly as he sucked it in his mouth. He moaned and ruthlessly took my whole mouth, pressing his lips and thrusting his tongue against mine.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to do that," He growled through his hungry desire, his dark, macabre, sexy eyes haunting mine. "Bite your lip."

I latched my longing hands onto the back of his neck, letting my fingers curl in his hair as I crashed his lips to mine, both of us groaning in passion against each others mouth. My hand clamped onto his naked back, and I wrapped my legs around him; presenting him with the wanted opportunity to press his hardness in between my legs. The afternoon proceeded like this, kissing on the truck, in the truck, on the ground and anywhere we could reach. We just couldn't seem to rip our hands off each other.

**XXX**

_**Rose…**_

"Rose, you might want to hear this," Tasha said through the phone. Dimitri was leaning against a fence, and I was in between his legs, leaning against his muscled chest, his thick, muscled arms wrapped comfortably around me. "Avery's going nuts."

"How so?" I asked, my fingers caressing and playing with Dimitri's arms, creating his hairs to rise in goose bumps. I could feel his lips press against my head and I leaned against him, not giving a shit what Tasha was about to say.

"Well, everyone knows you're an alcoholic, drug abusing whore," Tasha said, her voice slightly strained, "Thanks to Avery and her fliers, she handed them out to everybody, _including_ some of the teachers."

"What?" I yelped, bolting up to sit straight causing Dimitri to jump in fright. "What do the fliers say?"

"_Hathaway: innocent new girl or alcoholic, drug abusing whore, proven to be a criminal and a lousy fuck in bed?_" Tasha said; her voice monosyllabic as she read from the sheet that was obviously in her hand.

Many things _should_ have been passing through my mind; how I was going to kill the skank, taking great pleasure as I kicked her fuck in; how I was going to enjoy destroying her, ripping every strand of hair from her stuck up, egotistical head; but no matter how much I urged myself to do it, not one of those things ran through my conscious mind as Tasha delivered this news. Instead, I leaned against Dimitri again and let out an explosive chain reaction of laughs, hearing Dimitri chuckle at my craziness.

"Are you serious?" I chuckled, wiping my eyes as I pressed the phone to my ear. "_That's_ the best she's got? Like it fucking matters! I don't even go to St. Vladimir's anymore!"

"Aren't you still… annoyed?" Tasha asked; her voice surprised and sceptical. "I mean, if some slut spread rumours about me like that, I wouldn't be laughing about it."

"But they aren't rumours…well, apart from the lousy fuck one; we all know I'm great in bed." I joked, feeling Dimitri's chest vibrate against me as he laughed. "It's pathetic, I'll do something about it when she moves on from playing her childish games and actually comes to _me_, to solve the problem, but until then, she can hand out her miserable fliers and I won't give a fuck."

"Okay, well," She replied dragging out the 'O', "Just to let you know though, I won't be standing idly by, watching this happen."

"Don't give her the satisfaction, Tasha," I logically say, "Once she ups the game, we can fight back; until then, let her have her pathetic fun."

Tasha was silent for a long time before she spoke, "Fine, whatever," She replied with a sigh, "Are you home?"

"No," I said, snuggling into Dimitri, "Why?"

"Lissa has some news for us, but she wants you and me to both be there when she says it," Tasha growled and I could almost hear the anger in her words. "I'm so fed up, seeing those two all lovey-dovey on our couch! Doesn't she own some kickass mansion? Why aren't they _ever_ there?"

"That's a great question," I moaned, squirming as Dimitri bit the joining crook between my shoulder and neck, his heat spreading through my body.

"Okay, hurry up and get home cupcake, I'm on my way." She hung up, and the line died with a droning buzz. I pushed the phone back into my pocket and I lifted Dimitri's arms from my waist, standing up as I gazed down upon his pouting form.

"I can't believe I've been with you for seven hours," I laughed, not about to wrap my head around it. It had felt so much shorter, the time had flew by. "I have to go, Lissa has some…news that I need to hear." I shrugged.

Dimitri groaned as he stood up, stretching his long arms, showing me his thick muscles as they slithered and snaked up his tanned armed, a normal amount of armpit hair, and as his back arched my attention was drawn to the line of hair that trailed from his boxers to his belly button. Everything about him was so manly, so male and masculine that it made me want to drool.

"Fine, wait here until I get a shirt," He moaned, stretching again turning around to give me an amazing view of his ass and his sexy, intricate designed tattoo which covered the whole of his back, and a little of his right arm, the black swirls incredibly sexy against the broad muscles that was Dimitri Belikov's body. He was gone for approximately five minutes before he stepped back outside, a black t-shirt on as he strolled towards me, his beautiful hands lost in the pockets of his arousing jeans.

"You ready to go?" He asked standing in front of me, that enticing eyebrow arched, causing me to smile. I nodded and he motioned me forward as he sat on his bike. Unlike last time, he willingly handed me the black helmet, allowing me to put it over my head. I kicked my leg over the seat and rested my feet next to Dimitri's, wrapping my arms around his strong torso and loving how the muscles on his abdomen flexed when he started the bike.

The harsh growls from the motorcycle jarred under my body, the loud roars of the engine escaping as the man in my arms released the clutch, causing us to surge out of his home. The dust from the dirt path exploded into the air as Dimitri streaked through it, but he continued to drive, unfazed by the dirt that could have seriously hurt his eyes. I let my head rest against his shoulder, wrapping my arms tighter around him as I thought about the day that had quickly unfolded.

I had stayed with Dimitri the whole morning and most of the afternoon, talking about nothing in particular, kissing whenever we felt like it, our limbs entwined for the most part of the day. I still understood that Dimitri could never be in a relationship, and strangely enough, I was okay with that. I didn't care for labels, and at the end of the day, the only thing I cared about was being able to spend time with him. I knew that I wouldn't get anything out of the hot make out sessions we were having, but did I care? Not in the slightest.

Through the hours that I had spent with him, doing absolutely nothing at all, I had a revelation. I trusted Dimitri a lot, and I found myself telling him about my mother, stepsisters, Abe and New York. He listened intently, and smiled when my babbling became paced and excited as I told him about the phone call with my mother, and possibly seeing my friends. He did nothing but listen to me, his eyes bright as he attentively watched me.

Andre had texted me whilst I was in Dimitri's arms, and the forceful emotion of guilt swelled in my stomach made it slightly hard for me to breathe. I guess it was okay to say that Andre and I were dating, after he kissed me, bought me flowers, called me and brought me out on a date. I knew Andre saw us as a couple, and I didn't have it in me to say 'no'. However, being with Dimitri was soothing, yet somehow made my body hyperaware and sensitive, begging for his every touch. When I was with the Dragomir boy, I felt _none_ of the animalistic urges to rip his clothes off, like I had with the Russian who I now had my arms wrapped around. I knew what I had with Dimitri needed to stop, before things spiralled out of control.

Finally, after breezing past cars and the Californian scenery, we entered the dusty old neighbourhood that was my home. Within seconds, we were outside the apartments and Dimitri climbed off his bike, helping me down as I kicked my leg over. I took off the helmet, and handed it to the beautiful man, watching as he locked it to the bike. His tall, muscled body turned to glimpse at me, his eyes; that dark black, like a deadly, exotic elixir, his lips lifting to give me that heart-stopping smirk, showing me his gorgeous straight white teeth.

I smiled at him, bending my head to hide my blush as I walked in the direction of my apartment, walking up two sets of stairs before coming to my black, stickered door. I rummaged my pocket for a small silver key, smiling once my fingers brushed across the small object. I lifted it out and jammed it into the lock, opening the door to see that my living room was filled with people. I looked briefly at Dimitri who looked straight ahead, before entering.

Sitting on the couch was Christian and of course, under his arm was his beautiful girlfriend, Lissa. Tasha leaned against the wall, skateboard in her hand as she smoked on a cigarette, her sexy black crop messy and it was clear that she had boarded home from school. The last person was a man I knew extremely well, and it scared the shit out of me to see him standing in my living room uninvited; Andre Dragomir was sitting on the arm chair, looking slightly agitated as he glared at Dimitri, and I knew it was just the whole 'boyfriend jealous of any guy friends' thing. I rolled my eyes and walked in to sit on the couch.

"What's up?" I asked, commanding my eyes to stay sharp on Lissa, begging them to not disobey, as they so wished; I felt them tugging towards the beautiful Russian who stood next to me.

"I have _really_ good news," Lissa said, looking at Andre with a smile on her face, "It's all thanks to Andre, really."

"What is it?" I asked my almost boyfriend, seeing his eyes immediately light up when my eyes fell upon his handsome form.

"My dad's offering you a job in his club," Andre said with his chatoyant eyes, "I kind of planted the idea into his head, but he thought it was an amazing idea."

"You got me job?" I choked through my disbelief, "Seriously!"

"It's only as a barmaid, but it is the best I could do," Andre shrugged, though I knew he realized just how much this meant to me, "I got Tasha a job, too."

"What the fuck?" Tasha said, dropping her skateboard as she choked on the smoke of her cigarette, spluttering coughs irrupting from her mouth as her wide eyes stared in disbelief. "Why did you get _me_ a job?"

"Your Rose's best friend and I want to make her happy," He stated, his pale cheeks became a cute pink as he blushed, and he ran a hand through his hair. I could hear a disconcerting growl leave Dimitri's mouth and I closed my eyes before breathing in, opening them in to look at the beautiful blonde haired man.

"Thank you so much." I said, feeling a little emotional, not being able to understand what I had done to deserve all the great things that had been happening lately. "You have no idea how much this means."

Andre smiled sweetly, standing up to come sit beside me where he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pressing his lips to my head. I winced and felt nauseous, especially when I heard the sound of Dimitri's boots walk away from where we sat. I opened them to see he was standing beside Tasha, his eyes opaque and malevolent as he glared at Andre and me.

"Don't worry about it," He said, kissing my forehead again, his hug tightening as he crushed me against to him.

"I still don't understand," Tasha growled from the corner, stepping forward. She was wearing a black, tutu like skirt, black fish nets and a pair of Doc Martens, and a black top with a red skull, a leather jacket over her shoulders and she looked badass, and incredibly confused, her eyebrow arching as she stared at Andre. "I don't need a job, so I'm not accepting."

"Fucks sake, Tasha," Christian growled from beside me, "Mom and dad aren't going to be paying for us forever, you know. You might as well accept it for the experience, because one day you're going to need it."

"Experience as a barmaid?" Tasha chuckled, "How hard can it be?"

"You'd be surprised, it's actually quite demanding," Lissa said, looking between Tasha and me, "I mean, you get hit on like every night, you never have a moment's rest and you're always doing something, I mean…it looks fun, but it's not easy."

"And you're saying this from _experience_, princess?" Tasha snapped, causing everyone to cautiously look at her.

"Well, no, not from experience…but my dad owns the club, so I see it all the time."

"What club is it?" I asked, desperate to change the subject, almost sensing Tasha's aggravation.

"'The Court'" Andre replied, his fingers caressing my lower arm as he muttered softly in my ear. I swallowed guilt. "Have you been?"

"Yeah, once…" I said, looking at Lissa, remembering that night when Tasha had smacked Lissa, there were still some soft bruises under her eye and again, I swallowed guilt. "The night you asked me out, was the first night time I went."

"Ah, I see," He chuckled into my hair, "And do you think you'll enjoy working there."

"I don't care if I'll like it or not," I said, trying to distance myself from him, "I need to money, and the club is gorgeous."

"I'm sure you'll love it, I mean the atmosphere-"

Andre was couldn't finish his reply, as behind his head in a shattering, explosion of glass, a red brick smashed through the window causing a huge, cracked hole, little chips etched through the thin glass, like a spider web. Lissa screamed loudly, and Dimitri and Tasha jumped back in surprise, I jolted from my seat almost ripping Andre's arms from his socket, and Christian gaped at the window as it had developed three heads.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Tasha screamed as she stepped forward, picking up the red brick which had paper wrapped around it, a black elastic keeping it in place. With enraged eyes, she ripped the paper from the brick and smashed the brick into the ground, her face becoming a dark red as rage built behind her ivory skin. Her eyes snapped to the side and back until her mouth slacked and her eyes widened.

She looked at me, and fear threaded through her pupils.

"What's the matter?" Dimitri asked, seeing Tasha's fear pointed at me.

"It's for Rose…" Tasha murmured, rubbing the back of her neck as she stepped forward, her thick boots crunched the glass; the sound of cracking glass filled the apartment. With a trembling hand, I took the note and read what it had to say. Everyone stayed quiet as my eyes analysed every word, bile rising in my throat as the note registered in my mind.

"_Don't fall for their tricks, Mazur, don't fall for their lies…" _

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_Okay, so what's happening? Who do you think it is, I LOVE to hear your views seriously,all you other authors know what it's like to get reviews, so please just leave one :D_

_I'm actually nearly finished chapter 12, so hopefully that'll be out soon too xD_

_Revieww! _

_xoxoxoxoxo  
_


	11. Chapter 11

**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The orginal content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

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_Hellooo (: Just want to mention one of my reviewers called Goth Princess213. If you're reading this, I just want to say here you go :) a mention ;D and thank you for your reviews xD _

_You guys might ... well, honestly I don't know how you're going to react to this chapter, and I know I say this EVERY A/N (it's actually giving me a headache) but please tell me what you thought ... this has been planned from the beginning, and well, you'll know what I'm talking about when the time comes, so just give me your views. I accept all constructive critism xD So, just enjoy the chapter and I'm sending chapter 12 to my beta today, so hopefully that'll be updated soon :)_

**Valdeh= the best beta to ever exist. seriously.**

**Chapter songs**

_**Skyscraper- Demi Lovato _

_**Who owns my heart- Miley Cyrus _

_**Shattered- Trading Yesterday_

_Omg, I used two disney stars o.O *gets gun and shoots self*_

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**Chapter eleven- **Shattered...

**"Deep experiences are never peaceful"~ Henry James  
**

_**Rose…**_

I held the small, thin piece of paper in my hand, and it weighed me down, filling my mind with frightening, paranoid thoughts and creating my stomach to curl in fear. The writing on the paper was neat, each little cursive word perfect, obviously written by a girl- not that it mattered. It didn't matter what gender the person belonged to, all that mattered was that this eerie, light piece of paper in my hands was making me feel sick to the core. Was it a warning?

The writing jumping up at me from the page; causing my heart to beat frantically as I assessed the sentence repeatedly. Who was the '_them'_ that the person had been referring to? Was I in danger? Bile continued to rise in my throat and everyone watched me, noticing how anger and fear irrupted from my eyes.

"Roza…" Dimitri murmured, taking a step forwards. I looked at him briefly before turning around, ignoring all my friends.

Scrunching the crumbled paper in my hands, I spun around and bolted out the door, my feet smacking across the hallways and stairs as I dashed into the lobby frantically. I could hear someone shouting my name, but I ignored it, continuing to rush outside, _hoping_ that I could find whoever was responsible for this. The bright sun smacked across my face as I exploded from the front door, my head snapping for any sign of who it might have been. I looked for a suspicious person, a car, a bike or anything that could bring me closer to who it might have been. I ran forward and continued looking, finding nothing to base my suspicions on; I spun around, my focused eyes narrowing, looking into the lobby, looking for anyone, including one of my friends, but no one was there.

I spun around in circles, searching for the culprit, confusion and suspicion pulsing through my body. Just as I thought life was going well, something like this just _had_ to happen to me. Paranoia and fear continued to spread in my veins; I wanted to pretend it was a joke, that it was all a set up, but somewhere, from the recesses of my mind, I knew that this was not a game. This was really happening to me.

I wiped my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose as I continued to walk in the direction of my apartment, ready to talk to my friends about what had just happened. The sun continued to beat my face with its rays of light, the warmth consuming me so much, that I was completely off guard when a pair of overpowering hands covered my hands and mouth, gutting off my oxygen as he forced me against his hard muscled body. I screamed and kicked, not having a clue on what was going on, I allowed my arms to flail everywhere as I screamed into the man's palm, opening what I could of my mouth to bite his palm. The note dropped from my hand as I escaped his iron grasp.

"Ah!" The man yelled, his voice strangely familiar as he yelped, his body suddenly detached from mine. "Fuck, Rose!"

I whirled around, my fists clenched as I readied myself to attack. My body turned a full one hundred and eighty degrees, when my gaze slammed with a pair of beautiful emerald green eyes, and stunning hazel ones. I stared at the people in front of me, dropping my arms immediately as I fixed my gaze on them, the couple smiling sweetly at me.

"Oh my god," I muttered, pressing my hands to my lips, "You found me!"

"Obviously we found you," Adrian chuckled, walking forward to wrap his strong arms around me, "Or else we wouldn't be here, would we, little Rosie?"

Sydney walked over, she wrapped her arms around Adrian and me, and I couldn't help snaking my arms around both of their waists, burying my head into Adrian's chest as happiness spread through me. For a moment, I allowed myself to forget about the note and my bashed in window, just enjoying the fact that I had been reunited with the friends I had grown up with.

"_This_ is where you're living?" Sydney chirped from beside me after she backed away from the hug. Adrian kept his arm around me. "But Mazur Manor was so much prettier!"

"You were at Abe's house?" I asked, leading my friends in the direction of my home. Sydney's ridiculously high heels made it hard for her to walk with the pace that Adrian and I were, so she was slowly tagging behind.

"Yeah, and it's gorgeous!" She yelped from behind us, "And your brother is a fucking hottie! Tell me again why you moved?"

"Because I wanted to live with my friends, and I hate Abe." I chuckled, turning my head to see her waddling behind us. "Why do you put yourself through pain like that? Can't you just wear flats like a normal person?"

"Being normal is over rated, sweet cheeks," She replied, continuing her ridiculous penguin walk , "Comfort is for old people. I don't care that my feet will probably have blisters on the blisters, just as long as I looked hot."

"Well, with that walk you've got going on there? You're not hot, Syd," I commented, waiting for her in the lobby as she waddled towards us. Adrian stayed quiet and observed the conversation. "Want to take the elevator? I don't think you and your blistered toes could take these stairs."

"Yes, please," She whimpered, collapsing against the wall as I waited for the elevator to open. "God, why did I buy _these_ shoes? One size too small! I can feel my feet swell."

"Why did you buy shoes that were too small for you?" Adrian asked in amusement as he watched his friend slump against the wall, fiddling with the heels.

"It was a clearance sale, and they're Jimmy Choo's!" She yelped, standing straight again, "There were none in my size, and look at them! They're beautiful!"

Adrian and I chuckled as the elevator door opened with a metallic ring, the doors bouncing open as it gave us permission to leave the small box room. Sydney hobbled in behind us and immediately took her shoes off as soon as the doors closed, she immediately became six inches shorter and I could finally look down at her. I was a small girl, but Sydney was a tiny little thing, hence the high heels.

Suddenly, I remembered the explosion of glass that was scattered across my living room floor. "Ah, you might want to put those shoes back on, there's been a… bit of trouble in my apartment." I said, pressing the button that would bring us to the second floor, where my apartment was.

"Trouble?" Adrian asked; concern in his words. "Like, with your friends?"

"Not…exactly," I murmured, searching my pockets for the note. I suddenly remembered that I had dropped it outside and I immediately cursed myself, knowing that the wind blowing from the sea had more or likely caused the delicate piece of paper to fly away. "Just, some stupid prank."

"What happened?" Sydney asked; concern thick in her words.

"A brick was sent through my window with a note around it," I said leaning against the metal walls, hearing the creaking noises of the lift. "Now my living room is covered in glass and everyone's freaking out."

"What did the note say?" Adrian said from beside me, his eyes firm on me.

I didn't need the note to know what it had said, I had memorized the threatening words. "_Don't fall for their tricks, Mazur, Don't fall for their lies._"

"Fall for whose tricks and lies?" Sydney asked, just as the elevator door opened, "That makes no sense…"

"It's nothing, I'm not going to worry about it anymore," I said truthfully with a shrug, "I don't know what it is, or what the point of it was, but there's no point getting bogged down by it."

Adrian and Sydney stayed quiet as they looked firmly at each other. I rolled my eyes and walked out of the elevator, seeing my apartment door. I could hear footsteps behind me, and I knew that my friends were following.

"Rose… wait, we have something…you might want to know," Adrian said slowly and cautiously, causing me to turn around to look curiously at him. Sydney, heels in hand, looked at me, her eyes watery, and full of fear as she gazed at me and at Adrian, who had an expression of pure concern and worry on his face. "I don't think it's something your friends would enjoy hearing."

I looked between them, and folded my arms around me as if they were my protectors against the bad news that Adrian and Sydney were going to bring. I released a sigh that shattered my lungs, "What is it?"

"That… that guy you stabbed, ah, you know what he was connected with, don't you?"

"Yeah, he was trying to beat me, because I wasn't paying for some drugs I apparently bought," I said, slumping against the wall, "So I'm guessing he was a drug dealer?"

"He was much more than that, Rose," Sydney said, leaning against the wall as she arched her head, "You don't understand what you got yourself into, you honestly don't."

"What have I gotten myself into?" I asked, panicked. "I can't even remember that night! I was high and drunk, not in my right mind at all!"

"You think he's going to care about that?" Adrian asked sadly, "Jill was with you that night."

"Yeah, but she ran before the cops could catch her," I stated looking between my friends, "Why… what happened to Jill?"

"I'm so sorry, Rose," Sydney whimpered, bursting into tears, "I'm so, so sorry."

"What happened?" I asked, my attention snapping from one friend to another as I wrapped my arms tighter around me as my eyes filled with tears, knowing the answer before it was even said.

"She's dead," Adrian choked, looking at me with sympathetic eyes, "She 'killed herself' after she had received notes and threats from an anonymous writer. Her mom found a big box of them under her bed when they were clearing her room out."

"N-notes?" I whimpered, tears exploding from my eyes, "But she didn't even stab him! I did!" I wrapped my arms tighter around me and I collapsed against the wall, the weight of my friends death pressed down on my shoulders, and suffocated me as though I didn't deserve to live anymore.

Sydney ran over towards me and wrapped her delicate arms around me as I cried, devastation thumped through me, causing my cries to get caught in my choked throat.

"We came to warn you," Adrian stated, walking over to wrap his comforting arms around Sydney and me, "And it seems it's already begun. Whether you're concerned over that note or not isn't relevant. Sydney and I are staying in L.A and we're buying an apartment not far from this one, we're not letting you go through this alone."

"Who was the man I stabbed?" I asked through my tears, my desperate hands clamping onto his muscled arm as I whimpered into his chest.

"Robert Doru," He stated, running a hand through my hair as I trembled against him, "His brother's extremely powerful in New York, and apparently he can make your death seem like an accident."

"You don't think… he killed Jill, do you?" I asked, looking at my friends, begging that they would deny my question.

"Jill didn't seem like the type of girl to do that, did she?" Sydney asked, wiping her eyes as we sat on the floor outside my apartment. It was more than likely that everyone on the other side could hear what was going on, but I didn't care. My mind was filled with guilt, regrets and the beautiful face of my now deceased friend, who I didn't have the chance to say goodbye to. "It just doesn't add together."

"Just be safe, Rose," Adrian prayed, pressing his lips to my head. I melted into his body and shivered in fear.

We sat on the floor for a long time in silence, as I held Adrian and Sydney's hand, memories of my friend Jill passed through my mind as I remembered her innocent smile, and frizzy hair. How she tended to make me laugh on my crappiest days, and how I would always love and miss her. A small smile tugged on my lips as I recalled everything we had been through together, and I knew that for the rest of my life, I would feel painfully guilty over her death, that could very well kill me.

After a much-needed hug from my friends, I opened the living room to see everyone looking sheepishly at me, and the floor had been swept so the glass was gone. The hole in the window was covered with a thick black bag and everything was back to normal, apart from the fact that no one would make eye contact with me, confirming my suspicions that they had over heard the sad conversation outside.

"Ah, hey," I said, looking at everyone who sat on the couch in silence as they glanced at me. The only person, who knew everything about my past, was Dimitri and he was the only one to meet my crestfallen gaze. Tasha and Christian knew I had made mistakes and I had been put in jail, but that was about it, Andre and Lissa knew nothing, and now, after a broken window, a threat and a breakdown, they knew everything. "I want you guys to meet my friends."

All of their heads lifted to look at Adrian and Sydney who stood next to me nervously. Sydney's makeup was slightly smudged due to her tears, but she still looked incredibly beautiful, and Adrian looked composed and rigid as he looked at my friends sitting on the couches. "Guys, this is Adrian Ivashkov and Sydney Sage." They just nodded at my NYC friends, "Adrian, Syd, this is Dimitri Belikov, Tasha Ozera…" And the introductions went on.

"Hey, I recognize you!" Sydney said, sauntering over to where Dimitri leaned against the wall, "You're the incredibly hot guy who wouldn't give us directions yesterday!"

Dimitri's eyes snapped to mine quickly before he groaned and whacked his head against the wall.

"You told me you hadn't seen them!" I choked, looking at the beautiful man who leaned against the wall, thick arms folded as he glared at me, "You _lied_?"

"I see a lot of blonde girls and brown haired guys, Rose," Dimitri groaned, "How did you expect me know these were the guys you were talking about?"

"I told you she had a lily tattoo!" I said, pointing at Sydney, "How many of the girls you _fuck_ have a lily tattoo on their fucking cheek?"

"You can barely see her tattoo!" Dimitri mentioned pointing towards my friend, "Like it matters anyway, they're here aren't they?"

"It's more than that, and you know it." I growled.

His eyes snapped to the crowd that watched our argument, and it suddenly hit me that I was letting out more of my feelings than I should have. I mentally slapped myself and turned around to look at my friends who were watching curiously. I could feel my cheeks redden and I coughed, distracting myself from the fact that everyone's eyes were on me.

"Forget it." I growled, walking towards the armchair, where I sat down and rested my head in my hands.

Everything remained quiet around me, and the sound of my thrumming heartbeat wasn't obvious to everyone, but to me, it was as though my heart was severely beating my chest, causing it to be very difficult to form words. The events that had taken place today, and all the things I had learnt were causing such a contrasting mix in my stomach that I wanted to be sick. Learning about Tasha and Sonya's relationship, talking to my mother, meeting Dimitri's father, kissing Dimitri, having a job offered to me, the macabre note, a smashed window, Jill's death and then being united with my friends again; such a variegated amount of events caused my mind to spin.

I closed my eyes and continued to rest my head in my hands, hoping that life would become clearer, soon.

**XXX**

_**Rose… 2 months later**_

"This is the second time I've asked for my drink lady! Pick the up the pace!" A drunken man yelled, his blood- shot eyes and swaying body indicated that he was pissed and had had too much to drink.

"Sorry! Hold on, I'll get it now," I said, fixing my red dress as I grabbed the man's beer, taking the cap off with the corner of the counter. I almost threw it at him, considering how pissed I was. Working at 'The Court' was hectic, the pulsing lights frequently causing a migraine so strong to beat in my head that caused each thump of the loud, sensual music to feel like a crack to the skull. The exhaustion vibrated through me, and I felt an urge to collapse on the floor.

Lissa hadn't been joking when she told me that this job would be hard, and even Tasha didn't open her mouth to argue against that. We worked our asses off, were hit on every night and it was literally a nightmare, I relished in the thought of going home, sticking on my pyjamas, and possibly calling Andre to make my night all the better.

Many things had happened in the past two months, for one I had begun dating Andre. He made me laugh; made me smile and he just made me feel better whenever I felt like crap. Although Andre was a very strong figure in my life, I couldn't help but think of that amazing guy who had one day, stopped talking to me. Everyday, I would think of Dimitri and everyday I wondered whether he thought of me too; I would see him in the club, dancing with girls, teasing girls, flirting with girls and a pang so strong would slice through my heart, making it hard for me to breathe as I glared in jealousy at the lucky woman he would have wrapped in his arms.

Tasha and Christian had graduated from St. Vladimir's and neither of them knew what was in store for them in the future, Christian wanted to go to college, Tasha didn't and so far, that was that. My eyes looked out onto the dance floor, prodding people with my pupils as I tried to see pass the sensual, rhythmic dancing, as sweaty bodies pressed against sweaty bodies, the multi-coloured strobe lights bouncing off people's sheening skin. Finally, my eyes fell upon Tasha to see that she was strolling towards the bar, tray in hand as she fiddled with her red uniform.

What we were required to wear was completely degrading, the short red, skin tight dresses which left nothing to a pervert's imagination stuck to us like a second skin, and it was completely uncomfortable to work in. The heels we were ordered to wear almost crippled me because they were incredibly high, making me feel like a hooker/sex symbol… or Sydney .

"That's it; I'm fucking _done_ with this shit!" Tasha growled, slumping across the table, which some pervert took to his advantage, as he tried to look up her skirt, his beady eyes hoping to get a glance at her underwear. "Do you know that I got grabbed _six_ _fucking_ _times_ walking towards the bar? Six!"

"I'm so glad I'm not a waitress," I chuckled, pouring her a shot of vodka as she sat on a red padded stool, my words loud as I tried to communicate over the loud, blearing music.

"Fuck you, Hathaway," She said, knocking back the raw vodka, her face scrunching as fire layered her throat, "The money isn't worth it."

"Aw, stop it," I said, pouring a sober woman her second round of gin, "You have fun sometimes."

"'Sometimes' isn't enough, Cupcake," She groaned loudly, flicking through her notepad, "Fucks sake, give me a Gin and Tonic, Sex on the Beach, Tia Maria on the rocks with a separate coke, three bottles of Hennessey and a glass of Russian vodka."

"Do I even have to guess who this is for?" I growled, making my voice as loud as possible for Tasha to hear, trying as hard as I could to ignore the pang of pain lurching in my heart.

"You mean Dimitri Belikov, and his harem?" Tasha yelled over the music, setting her black, circle tray on the clean counter, "Then no, you wouldn't have to guess."

I growled in anger again, grabbing his order and resisting the _strong_ urge to spit in his drink. I knew I had absolutely no right to feel the way I did, I had no right to be pissed at Dimitri because he didn't want me; but I couldn't help it. During the time that Andre had asked me to be his girlfriend, I was in a dark place. Adrian and Sydney were helping me as much as possible, and still were, but I needed someone to care for me, more than just friends. It was selfish, disgusting and completely horrible, but I needed someone and I knew that that someone was not Dimitri Belikov, a man who couldn't commit to anything other than his love for pussy.

I fixed up his drinks, setting them on Tasha's black tray as she handed me his money, a scowl on her lips. She gave me a half hearted smile with her tight lips before storming away, a few guys turning to look at her as she charged through the dancing couples. I threw Dimitri's money into the cash register and leaned against the counter as I pressed a hand to my temple, feeling another migraine coming on.

My eyes snapped up again to see that Tasha was walking around the dance floor, and I smiled when I saw her angry face scowl at a girl who was in her way. My sore head continued to thump as I watched my friend over the heads of the drinkers at the bar. I decided to blame my exhaustion on my banging skull, because between Tasha's sex life, and Christian's sex life I found it a little hard to get sleep in the apartment. Sonya hadn't 'come out of the closet' and I could see how awkward she was around Christian, Lissa and me but I could also tell she liked Tasha a lot, and that for us was fine. As for Christian and Lissa, I was convinced one of them was part bunny with the rate they were fucking at. Almost every night, I would hear those unwanted noises, jealously curling in my stomach as I realised I was the only one who wasn't getting any.

Andre and I had decided to take things slow, but recently he started to become slightly friskier, putting his hands in places they shouldn't be, touching places that begged for his touch, kissing me everywhere. We hadn't done _it_, but if Andre continued acting the way he was, I knew it wouldn't be far ahead. I continued doing my work, continuously pulling down the hem of my skirt to avoid anyone looking at my ass, when I felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around me, and a pair of lips press against my neck.

"Hey, gorgeous," A familiar voice purred into my ear, his arms tightening around me as my back pressed against his chest. "When's your shift ending?"

My eyes darted onto the dance floor as I melted into Andre's touch, looking for the guy I hadn't wiped from my mind. Finally, after much searching I located him in the middle, sliding his hands up a tall, pale body, which belonged to Avery Lazar. My eyes narrowed, and it was as though she could feel my piercing gaze on her skanky face, because her dark grey eyes snapped to mine and they immediately narrowed when she saw Andre's firm arms around my waist. She gave me a sick, twisted smirk as she lifted her hand, placing them on Dimitri's face, she brought it down to hers, pressing her lips to his in a passionate kiss.

I averted my gaze immediately, turning around to look at the green eyes of Andre, so I wouldn't have the see what was happening on the dance floor. I snaked my arms around my boyfriend's neck and looked at him, a spurious smile on my face. Most customers weren't allowed behind the bar, but seeing as how Andre was the boss's son, he was a special circumstance.

"At twelve," I said, bringing my lips to his for a soft peck. "Did you have something special planned?" I teased, letting my fingers play with his soft hair.

"Well, kind of," He said with a cute smirk, his hands tight on my waist, "There's going to be a party at mine, you can bring anyone you want. Lissa and Christian are already there."

"I'll be there," I murmured as he pressed his lips to mine for another cute peck, "Is the party in honour of anyone? Or for a special occasion?"

"Not that I'm aware of," He sighed, a smile on his lips, "Let's make you the honour, the special occasion being our eighth week of dating."

I chuckled, and detached myself from his arms. "I have one hour of work left," I lifted my finger towards the stool on the other side of the bar, "And you are my costumer, get on the other side, please."

He chuckled and strolled around the other side, resting his elbows on the counter as he rested his chin in his joined hands, his blazing eyes watching me. "Well, seeing as how you're offering, I'll have a glass of your finest please."

I rolled my eyes at the dork, ducking underneath the counter to open the small fridge, taking out a cheap beer. I stood up straight, my knees cracking as I did so, handing him the green bottle. "The finest."

He chuckled and opened the beer with a twist, guzzling it down as he closed his eyes. He stayed there, and talked to me whilst I worked, sometimes I would give him my attention, most times I would be looking over his head to stare into the dark corner where Dimitri Belikov, accompanied by three girls including Avery, sat. I kept telling myself to stop caring, to stop thinking about him and to realize that nothing happened between us. I had no right to be jealous of Avery, of the girls that surrounded him, and I certainly had no right to feel the urge to kick them to death. I tried to keep my attention on Andre, whose green eyes stayed on me as he talked about one thing, changing the subject to talk about another; I didn't really need to open my mouth.

I continued working my ass off, dropping a glass when I saw Dimitri lift Avery and spin her around in circles. I grabbed a dustpan and brush, shovelling the broken glass as I shook, trying to clear my mind. The thumping music went right through my head, and I had to press my hand against my forehead to stop the pain. I probably should have cancelled my acceptance to Andre's party, but I knew that the only reason my head was banging, was because the club was making me sick, and I couldn't stand to look at Dimitri any longer.

Tasha came by a few times, calling orders and giving money. She gave Andre a dirty look and stormed away again, it was evident that Tasha disliked Andre, but I just blamed it on her serious dislike for the whole Dragomir family. Just as I was about to give her invitation to the party, she walked away tray in hand towards a table filled with guys. After standing up from cleaning the shards of sharp glass, I turned to the girl who I was working with, her blonde hair almost smacking me across the face as she spun to look at me.

"Hey, can you cover my station for two seconds?" I asked, running a shaky hand through my hair. "I just have to do something, but I'll be right back."

Her blue eyes searched me and she nodded, "Sure thing, don't take too long though," The girl, whose name I thought was Camille, said, "It's busy as fuck tonight."

"Okay, thanks." I said; catching her pretty smile as I walked passed Andre, who began following me immediately.

"Where are you going?" He asked, his green bottle of beer still in his hand, his feet hitting the floor harshly as he tried to keep up with my storming. I caught a few guys staring at me; something I had become extremely accustomed to whilst working at 'The Court'. I was extremely surprised that no one had grabbed me as I made my way towards Tasha, who was taking some young couples order.

"Is that it?" She asked; a fake smile stitched to her blood red lips. The couple nodded and smiled as she walked away, almost banging into me. "Watch where you're going, asshole- oh, Rose, it's you." She murmured, wiping her sweaty forehead with her hand, notepad clenched in her fingers. "I haven't sat down once today, I think I've damaged my toes."

I smirked, my eyes snapping to the same dark corner, pain thrumming in my gut as I realized that Dimitri hadn't looked my way once. I averted my attention back to Tasha, feeling Andre's arms wrapping around me, not being able to help the chuckle that escaped my lips at Tasha's disgusted expression.

"Andre's throwing a party," I said, shouting over the loud music, "You up for it?"

"Ah, thanks but no thanks," She chortled, her dark eyes narrowing on my boyfriend, whose chin rested on my shoulder. "I don't want to go to _his_ house."

Andre chuckled in my ear and Tasha growled; her eyes dark as she stared at him. "Come on, it'll be fun, and we haven't been out in forever!" I said; linking my fingers through Andre's, feeling the vibrations of the music pounding under my feet, filling me with a strange desire to start dancing. There was fifteen minutes of our shift left, and I really wanted to go to the party with my best friend. "Christian is there, and I'm going to invite Adrian and Sydney, so you won't be alone."

"Is that your not-so-subtle way of telling me that you're going to ditch me, to fuck this brainless oaf?" Tasha asked pointing at Andre before folding her arms as she leaned on one leg heavier than the other, causing her left knee to bend. Her narrowed eyes blazed in disbelief and anger as I chuckled.

"No!" I laughed, snuggling into Andre, "Of course not! But I'm not going to be with you for the _whole_ night."

She looked around, contemplating the answer as though she expected to find it among the sensual, carnal dancers. She released a huge sigh and wiped her head before staring at me with wide, scornful eyes. "Fine, I'll come. If I even _start_ to feel bored, I'm going home."

"Okay, I'll meet you at the door in fifteen," I said, blowing her a friendly kiss as Andre and I walked back to the bar. He insisted on following me like a lost puppy, and whilst it was cute that he wrapped his arms around me and smiled a lot, it was a little annoying that he had to be my shadow _everywhere_. I nodded to Camille letting her know that I was ready to work again, and I served a beautiful, auburn haired girl before taking my phone from my bra to text my friends.

I searched through the contacts until I found Adrian and Sydney's number, texting them the same message; _Party at twelve, meet me at TC __**right**__**now**__ xo (:_

They both replied within seconds with an 'Okay' and I knew that soon, I was able to wrap up. As soon as the clock ticked twelve, I took my tips and shoved them into my bra, the only thing that could be used as pocket with the tight dresses, knocking back a shot of vodka, not bothering to pay. I grabbed Andre, pressing my lips to his briefly before walking towards the door, saying goodbye to some of my co-workers as I left.

Andre pressed his lips to my temple, and immediately I felt a heavy gaze on my face, knowing straight away where it came from. My eyes snapped to the dark corner as they focused on the beautiful man whose dark, penetrating eyes bore holes into my body, his expression deadly and serious. I looked around him to see that his harem was talking enthusiastically, all except Avery who stared at the blonde haired man in my arms. I resisted the urge to blink as I glared at the couple, my attention mainly focused on Dimitri who still hadn't shifted his gaze from my aware body and face.

Starting to feel slightly embarrassed and depraved under his sexy, heavy gaze, I averted my line of sight, keeping my head down as I walked out the front door, my nose immediately overwhelmed with the smell of clove cigarettes. Adrian and Tasha leaned against the wall, Adrian's favourite flavour of cigarette in each of their mouths as they watched Sydney wobble in amusement. I looked at my small blonde friend who was wearing another pair of her ridiculously high heels, a beautiful purple dress and an afflicted face.

"Sore feet?" I asked her, a smile tugging across my face, and suddenly I felt much, much better.

"Nope," Adrian chuckled, popping his 'p', "I would be extremely surprised if she could feel her feet, considering how fucking drunk she is."

"What time has she been drinking from?" I asked, leaving Andre's over protective grasp to take my drunken friend in my arms, laughing as I did so. "Jesus, Syd, you stink."

"Well, I woke up at three and she was like this," Adrian chuckled, inhaling his clove fumes, a smirk on his lips, "Hasn't stopped drinking since then."

"She's been drinking for _nine_ hours?" I chuckled, looking at my blonde friend who was swaying on the spot, her eyes bloodshot and wide as she stared at the front doors.

"What's nine hours to _you_?" He replied with a smirk, a cloud of stench filling my nostrils, "You've drank days on end, not stopping to pull a piss, eat or…anything really."

"That's charming," Tasha said sarcastically, "But Rose has been clean since she's come here…well, not clean, but she hasn't been drunk 'days on end' as you say."

"Seriously?" Adrian choked through his smoke, "That's impossible."

"Thanks, Adrian," I chuckled, Andre attaching himself to me once more, "I know it's hard to image me without a bottle of vodka in my hand, but please, drop the judgments."

"I'm not judging!" He said, dropping his cigarette to stomp on it with his shoe, "I'm surprised, is all…Will you be drinking tonight?"

"Yeah?" I said, watching as Adrian's eyes narrowed in concern, "Oh wise up ! I can handle it; I'm not some recovering alcoholic, okay? I'll be fine."

"Okay, okay," Tasha said, stepping forward as she exhaled her last mouthful of clove-flavoured nicotine, dropping the bud to the floor before her high heel crushed it. "Can we move now? I'm getting cold, and I want to get drunk."

Andre chuckled and turned around to walk in the direction of the employee car park. He wasn't an employee obviously, but there was more space in that parking lot, and considering how his father owned the joint, he took that power to his advantage. We traipsed towards his car, the chilly night air caressing our skin, our flesh rising in goose bumps. After walking around the corner, the parking lot came into view as did Andre's beautiful, trust-fund-bought car. We ambled towards it, Andre's arm around me tightly, Tasha walking alone to the side and Adrian helping a stumbling Sydney, who was now laughing at the smell of clove cigarettes.

As always, Andre opened the door for me and allowed me to get comfortable before closing it. Tasha growled as he ignored her.

"Fuck you too, Romeo." She sarcastically hissed, reaching her hand out to pull the expensive door open, her arm jerking so violently I was surprised she didn't tear the car door off its hinges. She jumped inside, followed by the drunken Sydney and controlled Adrian, who had a permanent smirk on his lips, his eyes carefully watching the beautiful blonde haired girl next to him.

"Roll down these windows," I said, as Andre entered through his own door, "The inside of this car reeks of those god damned cigarettes."

He rolled down the windows, and revved out of the parking lot, my eyes falling on a familiar black motorcycle. I closed my eyes and swallowed the bile and guilt that slid up my throat.

For the rest of the car ride, everyone conversed, nothing of particular interest coming to my mind. I stayed quiet for the duration of the ride, speaking only when spoken to. For some Delphic meaning, I couldn't seem to rid my mind of the abashing images that filled my head and it didn't take a rocket scientist to understand who was occupying my every thought- Dimitri Belikov.

I thought of his cocky smirk and his dark, menacing eyes framed by beautiful, smooth hair. I remembered how there was a perfect spot between his neck and shoulder, where my head fitted perfectly and how safe I felt in his strong arms. It had been roughly around two months since I had been in an actual legitimate conversation with him, after one day when he just stopped talking to me. His visits became non-existent, and I was eminently surprised that I missed his company very much. I missed how his eyelashes shadowed across his gorgeous cheekbones, how his beautiful lips tightened and crooked in a sexy, heart-stopping smirk and I especially missed the feeling I felt when I was with him. I missed that the most.

Finally after much painful thinking, we made it to the Dragomir mansion and I waited patiently as Andre climbed out to open my door, knowing that if I even cogitated about opening it myself he would take a fit. Whilst I found it cute _sometimes_, I didn't really find it necessary for him to open my god damned door every single time I needed to get into or out of a car. I considered myself to be a very independent woman, and yes, having things done for me was nice to a certain extent, but every time I needed something, I didn't expect some man to come running. I could take care of myself.

We all got out of the expensive car, and made our way to the front doors where I could already hear the loud music thumping through the thick wood. Andre took my wrist as he opened the door, leading me inside with bright eyes. I had to say, I was a little surprised at the amount of people who were attending the party, a party that had only been arranged a few hours before.

I noticed some of Andre's friends and some people from my class in St Vladimir's, Mason being one as he danced with Sonya Belikov, much to Tasha's dismay. I turned my head to look at her, seeing her blue eyes turned into crystalized ice, her teeth showing as she willed herself not to scream.

"Can I get you a drink?" Andre yelled into my ear over the loud thrumming music. I nodded and he gave me a peck on the cheek before sliding through the dancers, dancers that were almost identical to the ones at 'The Court'. I chuckled as he was pinched about four times. Turning around I saw that Sydney had already joined the thousands of dancers in the large foyer, and that Adrian was chatting away to some brunette girl. Tasha, like I had guessed, was fuming beside me.

"Okay, she may not be ready to tell the world she's gay," Tasha growled, her eyes firm on Mason as though she wanted to rip his head off, "But _that_ is just _too_ far."

"Oh, relax," I said, looking at the red haired mans fingers playing with the lace on Sonya's dress, "You can tell that she isn't into him, look- look at that face!"

It was true, once Sonya turned around whilst dancing with Mason, her smile indicated that she was having a great time, but it didn't take much observation to see that it was totally put on; her eyes were wide in distaste. Her pupils narrowed on Tasha, the irises surrounding them they very same beautiful colour as Dimitri's, and I watched as a smile secretive smile twitched on her lips at the sight of her girlfriend.

"Rose, go talk to her," Tasha said, putting her arm on my wrist, "If anyone sees me speaking to her, they'll think something's up."

"And they won't think the same for me?" I choked, turning my back to the dancers, my eyes wide on Tasha as I folded my arms across my red dress, watching as my friend squirmed under my scrutiny. She ran a shaking tattooed hand through her hair and took a step closer to my reluctant form.

"Well, not necessarily, no," She replied, her eyes snapping behind me to focus on her girlfriend, as she copied my stance, folding her arms and giving me a great view of her sleeve tattoo. "The popular kids _wanted_ you to join them; _you_ were the one who said no. That makes it okay for you to just stroll on up to one of them, if you wanted."

"And why couldn't you do that?"

"Because if I walked up to Sonya, they'll all think I want to fuck her!" Tasha growled, "I don't think even _you_ understand how brutal those Lesbian jokes can get, almost every girl I walk up to has been accused of being my girlfriend; even you, Cupcake."

"But you do want to fuck her, and she is your girlfriend…?" I said, having to speak a little quieter, even though the music continued to beat and vibrate against the walls. I ignored the comment she had made about people thinking I was her girlfriend, now that I was dating Andre Dragomir; a lot of people knew me and perceived that I was in fact, straight.

"But she doesn't want that getting out yet!" My friend yelled, desperation in her stunning eyes, "Please, Rose, you _know_ I'd do it for you, and I fucking despise Andre!"

I sighed and resisted the urge to smack my head against the wall, looking at my friend with fire in my eyes, "Text her!"

"I didn't bring my phone, there are no pockets in these fucking god damned uniforms," She replied, obviously she didn't use her bra as I pocket, like I did. "Please, Rose! Just tell her to meet me out back in ten minutes, please, just do it." And with that, my best friend separated the obscene dancers, who seemed like they had been stuck together with glue, a vacant expression on her face as she passed Sonya.

I rolled my eyes and slapped my forehead before turning around. I had only taken one step into the foyer of the Dragomir mansion, and yet here I was, already annoyed and looking for a way out. I couldn't deny my best friend this, considering everything she had done for me. With a large sigh that hurt the back of my throat, I took a step towards Sonya and Mason, noticing how panic shot up into the Belikov girls eyes.

"Hey, Mase!" I said, tapping on the shoulder. Immediately, the couple stopped dancing, and Mason turned around, completely unaware that Sonya had a hand covering her mouth as if she expected me to spread her secret. "How are you!"

"Hey, Rose!" He yelled over the music, throwing his arm over me, "I'm great, you having fun!"

"Tonnes!" I yelled back, a hint of sarcasm in my words, "I still haven't had a drink, though!"

"Seriously? Well, you ladies talk and I'll go get you one!" He said; giving me a smile as I turned to look at my friend's girl. I didn't care that Andre was away getting me a drink, I just needed Sonya alone, knowing that it was the only shot I had.

"Well, that got rid of him," I said, folding my arms as I looked at the gorgeous girl. "What were you thinking? Are you trying to get Mason killed?" I knew that Sonya didn't particularly like dancing with Mason, or any guy, but I found it hard to not be the slightest bit judgmental.

"What?" She asked, taking a strand of hair as she twirled it around her fingers, and she bent her head a little. She was enacting; pretending as though she hadn't a clue what I was blabbing about, even though she had caught Tasha and I staring only moments before.

"You know how insecure Tasha gets, Sonya," I said, starting to dance a little when I realised we were attracting attention, seeing as how we were the only people who weren't moving. I didn't care what song was on, I just moved my body the way everyone else was, I didn't grind into Sonya obviously, because Tasha would have killed me. "You didn't tell her you were going to a party, and then she comes and sees you pressing yourself against some guy, she's already worried about you and her, without having to see you feeling Mason up!"

"Will you _shut_ _up_?" She yelled through clenched teeth, "Someone might hear you!"

"And what if they did, don't you care about Tasha?" I growled, continuing to dance, my red dress sticking to my tired body. "You're going to have to tell everyone eventually."

"No one has to know!" She yelled, "It doesn't matter, I'm leaving for college anyway!"

"This isn't just about Tasha, you know!" I yelled, "She plays a big part, yes, but one day, you're going to have to tell people you're gay, and the sooner you do it, the better!"

"I didn't ask for a fucking lesbian lecture, asshole!" She yelled over the music, "If I wanted your advice, I'd ask for it. Just stop butting your nose into my relationship, and focus on your own!"

"Fuck you Sonya, both you and your brother are nothing but fucking dickheads!" I yelled; stopping my dancing to stare at her, a mixture of feelings brewed in my stomach, anger being the most prominent. "You do whatever the fuck you want, but just know that it's all going to blow up in your face. Oh, and by the way, your _girlfriend's_ waiting for you out back, but I'm guessing you aren't going to meet her, people might fucking see you!"

Sonya stopped dancing and looked at me, her eyes bright. "I care about her!" She yelled, people banging into us as they continued to dance wildly, the lighting was dark and I couldn't see who kept knocking into me.

"It's not me you should be telling that to!" I yelled, before turning away, trying to get out of the sleazy, mosh-pit-like dance floor/foyer. Sonya could do whatever the fuck she wanted; she didn't deserve a girl as amazing as Tasha. I walked back to where I had been standing before as I waited for my boyfriend to return. As I made it through the dancers, I could see that he was already standing there, a red plastic cup in his hand.

His face lit up as soon as he saw me, walking over to meet my dejected stroll. "You okay, babe?" He asked, handing me the drink, his eyes concerned.

"Yeah…I'm fine." I lied. I stood in front of him, letting him wrap his arms around me and attach his lips to my neck. I could feel eyes on us, and when I turned my head to see who it was, my stomach and mind burned with anger to see Avery Lazar and Dimitri Belikov. I should have known that they would have shown up, Dimitri could smell a party from a miles distance, and I'm sure Avery was update with everything Andre did. Looking around, I could see that all of Avery's friends were present, and it was stupid of me to think that she wouldn't show. With a sigh, I turned back around, downing my drink as Andre attached his lips to my bare shoulders, kissing along the trail to my neck. I dropped the drink, the plastic falling to the floor, my breathe smelling strongly of whiskey as I wrapped my arms around his neck, linking my lips to his. I continued to feel a heated gaze on me, so I pulled Andre's head forward, whispering in his ear, "Want to get out of here? Maybe go somewhere a little more…secluded?"

I couldn't stick kissing my boyfriend, feeling as though I was committing a murder. I didn't have a right to be jealous of Dimitri, but he certainly had no right to make me feel uncomfortable with his glare, whilst I was with my boyfriend. He had told me that he couldn't imagine being in a relationship, and that he found the prospect sickening, and I for one, was happy that I had finally moved on and stopped wishing for something I just _knew_ would never happen. I had to wrap my head around the fact that Dimitri was just a part of my life, and I needed to learn to live with it.

Andre's heavy breaths brought me back into reality, his needy hands clamping onto my waist as he pulled me to him. "My bedroom?" He purred, his nose skimming my jaw.

"Sure." I said, letting his arms clamp around me as he brought me upstairs. People were making out frantically on the marble stairway, and as Andre tried to move them, I turned around to look at the man, whose dark glare pierced deep holes into my body, causing electric shocks to jolt through me. Next to him, was the stunning Avery whose blazing glare, if not so angry, would have been hilarious; it looked as though she was just about to explode, her eyes tight on Andre as he lead me upstairs.

I turned back around to climb the stairs, watching how the couples immediately glued themselves to each other again. I chuckled, feeling a little buzzed, more than I should have actually, considering how I had only a few shots at work, and then one glass at the party. I shook it off and continued walking towards Andre's bedroom. We didn't even make it to his bedroom before he pressed me against the wall, bringing his lips to mine.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," He said, his hand playing with the hem of my dress, "I know you wanted to take it slow, but fuck…"

I couldn't even give him a reply as his kissed me again, keeping me in his arms as he walked towards his bedroom door, reaching his hand out to open it. Immediately I heard a scream and Andre dropped me, looking to see who was in his bedroom. A couple lay on his bed, the boy half-dressed, his trousers wrapped around his ankles as the girl gave him head, her mouth covered in residue.

"Oh, fuck!" Andre growled, storming into the bedroom, "Get the fuck out of here!"

The guy quickly pulled up his trousers, not even fastening his belt as the couple scattered out of the bedroom. My head was beginning to feel slightly heavy and I had to lean against the wall, pressing a hand to my head.

"I don't feel so good, Andre," I said, pressing a hand to my stomach, the other on my head, "I feel woozy."

"You'll be okay." He murmured, strolling over to me as he crashed his lips violently to mine, backing away slightly to rip his shirt over his head. His hand snaked down to undo his button before he lifted me off the ground, bringing me to the bed. My back hit the soft mattress, my body bouncing as I collided with the blankets. I didn't even have it in me to say no, I just allowed him to slide off my dress, lowering himself on top of me as he kissed my neck harshly, I had no doubt he would leave large bruises. "You have no idea…how long I've wanted to do this."

I heard a clinking of metal as he dropped his trousers to the ground, his belt obviously colliding with the bed to make the noise. He was now in front of me, with nothing but boxers on and I could very well see his arousal through the think fabric. My body felt heavy, and I couldn't move as I watched him lower himself on me again, his lips forcibly controlling my lips, his tongue thrusting into my mouth.

I lifted my hands, the only functioning part of my body as I tried to push him off me, "Andre, wait."

He didn't respond, pressing his unwanted hardness against my panties as he forced himself on me. For one moment, fear pulsed through me and I felt as though I wanted to be sick. There was no way I had drank so much that my body had stopped working, yet my mind was still partly functional. It all came clear to me that someone had messed with my drink.

And the only person, who would have access to my drink, was Andre.

"Get the fuck off me!" I mumbled, pressing my weak arms against his chest. "Please, Andre."

"I've wanted you for so, so long, Rose," He moaned, pulling down his boxers as he looked violently at me, "Look at what you do to me." He growled, grabbing my hand and forcing it to touch his throbbing dick.

"What the fuck!" I cried, trying to make my body back away and receiving no such results. "Keep your fucking hands off me, you pervert!" I tried to make words as strong as possible, but they came out in panty little breaths, bile rising in my throat as Andre forcibly made me give him a hand job.

"Babe, it's your hands that are on me…" He said, his voice harsh, "And…it-feels-fucking-good!"

I tried screaming and thrashing my legs, but nothing seemed to be working. His hands tightened around mine, moving them away from his cock as he lifted me up, trying to unhook my bra.

"HELP!" I screamed, my voice weak and mumbled, trying to kick my feeble legs and move my immobile arms as Andre's fingers pinched my nipple. "SOMEBODY FUCKING HELP!"

It all happened so fast, my mind spun as I tried to move from my so called boyfriend who sat on top of me, my body was still weak and I didn't make much impact, but I thrashed until Andre fell off my hips, showing me the door. Standing there, eyes' blazing was Dimitri Belikov. He took one look at me, and then at the animalistic Andre before charging into the bedroom like death in a leather jacket. It took less than one second for Dimitri to pick up the naked Andre, and punch him square on the mouth, anger, disgust, and hatred on his beautiful face. Andre yelled in pain and kicked free of Dimitri's grasp; ripping a lamp from the socket as he tried to protect himself against the tall, dangerous Russian.

"Dude, what the fuck?" Andre yelled, the loud music thumping from down stairs, "You kind of interrupted something here!"

"You fucking dickhead!" Dimitri said, venom dripping from his words, "She's your fucking girlfriend, you sick fuck!"

I didn't see what happened as I dropped onto the floor, dragging my weak body across the room to find the dress that Andre had discarded. I found it after hearing severe screaming, loud thumps and thuds and strangely enough, the sound of something cracking. I sat against the bed for support, lifting my shaking arms to put the red dress over my head as Dimitri beat the absolute shit out of my ex-boyfriend.

"You sick, perverted fuck," Dimitri growled, delivering a stomach busting kick to Andre's side, causing the naked Dragomir to jolt into the air, blood spurting out of his mouth. I didn't recognize the deadly man who stood tall over him, his eyes dark and sinister as he breathed heavily, his hair a mess and his face slick in sweat; he looked terrifying, outraged and so fucking dangerous that it almost made me sick. "You tried to fucking rape her! Abe will be hearing about this, you fucking cock!"

Dimitri leaned down and grabbed Andre by the neck, shoving him against the wall as he bashed his head against the wall, his knee lifting to collide with Andre's balls. The blonde haired man coughed and collapsed, his body covered in blood. Dimitri dropped him to the floor once more, and with his boot stomped on Andre's bloody, distorted face.

Once he was satisfied with the mess he had made, and was positive that Andre's crippled form was nothing but a bag of twitches his panicked face turned to my convulsing body and he lifted me into his arms, his lips pressing against my cheek and head frantically as if he were afraid I would wither away in his strong, comforting arms.

"Roza," He cried, resting his head on mine, "Please tell me you're okay…"

"I'm okay," I croaked, my throat burning and nose tickling as I felt the unstoppable onslaught of tears invade my eyes, "I j-just need ah, a glass of water…please."

**XXX**

_**Dimitri…**_

Dimitri held the beautiful, terrified girl in his arms and rested his head on her gorgeous locks, closing his eyes and thanking he didn't know who, for getting there in time. Seeing her walk up the stairs, and seeing how Andre couldn't keep his hands off her, Dimitri knew that they were going to have sex, and the thought sent shocks of sickness through his body, almost crippling him. He couldn't help it, following them and waiting outside almost willing himself to force his way through, and interrupt what had been taking place. All it took was Rose's soft pleas, for Dimitri to explode into the room, and kick the fuck clean out of the sick, perverted Dragomir kid.

The past two months had been too hard on him, he didn't know what Rose had done to grip him so deep, but he knew that he couldn't stay away for that length of time again. He contemplated the dark times when he would think about her, about Tasha and about Christian and brood over the inevitable. All of them were happy, each of them with someone who made them content, who filled them with many great feelings; Dimitri wasn't needed there, and he didn't necessarily like the feeling that lurched in his stomach at the sight of Andre with his arms around _his_ girl.

His hand trailed her long hair as he kissed her head, closing his eyes as he inhaled the smell of her beautiful locks. He had texted Lissa, Christian and Tasha to come upstairs ASAP, and to bring a bottle of water for Rose. Within seconds, the three burst into Andre's room, their faces slack as they observed the situation before them.

"What the fuck?" Lissa screamed, running towards her brother who lay in a blood puddle on the floor, "What happened? Is he okay?"

"Leave him there," Dimitri spat, that terrifying hatred and fury burning in his mind, begging to explode. He wanted to leave Rose in the hands of one of her friends, come back to Andre and slit his fucking throat, so he would never be given the opportunity to do what he had done to Rose, to any girl ever again. "If he dies; good fucking riddance."

"That's my brother!" Lissa cried; fat drops of water leaving her eyes, causing Christian to stop glancing dejectedly at Rose, to wrap his arms around her. "He was attacked! Rose… did you see what happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, she saw what happened," Dimitri spat, "After she fucking crawled across the floor to get her clothes back on, she saw me kick his perverted little dick in."

"_You_ did this?" Tasha asked, her eyes falling on Dimitri as she strolled towards Rose, wrapping her arms around the shaking brunette. "What the fuck happened?"

"That stupid cock-sucking, disgusting- fucker!" Dimitri couldn't even finished his sentence as he buried his head into Rose's shoulder's calming her down as her hands wrapped around him, tears falling down her eyes as she clutched onto him. Tasha wrapped her arms around Rose and Dimitri as Christian and Lissa glared at the unconscious naked Andre.

"He didn't…" Lissa cried, pressing her hand to her mouth as tears filled her eyes, "No, Andre isn't like that."

"Well, clearly he is!" Tasha screamed standing up, "Look at her, Lissa! She's a fucking mess!"

"No, no, Andre didn't do this!" Lissa cried, hanging onto Christian as he grabbed the blanket on the bed, covering the lower half of Andre's naked body . "Ring an ambulance, please!"

"If you think for _one_ _second_ that I'm going to ring an ambulance for that _fucked_ _up_ _creep_, think again, _you_ go ring the fucking ambulance!" Tasha screamed, taking a step forward, fire in her eyes. Her darkly chatoyant eyes narrowed in on Andre's distorted face, and rage thumped through her, and as she took a step forward dark, twisted thoughts formed in her mind as she contemplated piercing his throat with her heel. The fucker deserved to die.

Lissa slumped against the wall and continued to cry, "He wouldn't have done this, he wouldn't have…"

Dimitri wrapped his supporting hands under Rose's trembling body, pressing his lips to forehead as he lifted her out of the dark, macabre room, afraid to look at Andre's collapsed, bloody form in case he decided to hand Rose to Tasha, and kill the fucking pervert. He breathed heavily and remained strong, willing to stay controlled for Rose's sake. He held her tightly in his thick arms, afraid of moving too much in case she found it as a threat in her traumatized state.

"Don't move him," Dimitri growled, stepping out of the room, "He's going to fucking pay for what he didone."

Tasha nodded her head and followed Dimitri, her eyes glassy as she stared down at her best friends trembling body.

"My life's a fucking mess," Rose whimpered into Dimitri's chest after a long gulp of water, "I have some fucking creep from New York after me, my dad's an asshole and my boyfriend drugged me then tried to rape me…"

"I wish I could say everything is okay," Dimitri whispered to her softly, his strong arms pressing her shaking body into his, "But then I'd be lying to you. I'll try my best to make everything okay for you Roza; I'll do anything I can."

Tasha looked at Dimitri, and it was as though she had seen her friend for the first time. In front of her, wasn't the immature, big headed asshole who she had grown to like over the past year, instead before her was this amazing, bighearted guy who held a small girl in his arms as he promised her something that was so far fetched, it could probably kill him in the attempt. She watched him comfort her, and promise her many things, his eyes bright as he glances down on her- Tasha loved this guy.

Dimitri carried her into foyer, and everyone looked at the girl in his arms, one guy in particular seemed to enjoy what was going on.

"Oh! We missed Rose getting high!" He yelled, "I told you all she was an addict!"

Tears fell from Rose's eyes as she heard the abusive words, and when the whispers broke out, it was blatantly obvious who they were talking about. Guilt churned in Dimitri's stomach as he held the beautiful, broken girl, feeling the tickle of his nose as tears formed in his eyes, he walked out the front door, ignoring the looks that Tasha couldn't seem to overlook. Dimitri omitted the sound of Tasha's slap smack across some man's face as he walked towards his bike, immediately cursing himself for not having a car.

"We have no way of getting home," Tasha said dejectedly, pressing a red hand to her forehead.

He set Rose on the bike, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Can you sit up?" He asked her, his voice soft and sweet as he pushed back a strand on hair on her pale, clammy face. She nodded and her stunning eyes snapped to his, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you so much, Dimitri," She whimpered, more tears forming in her beautiful pools of brown. "If you hadn't of been there… I…"

"Shush, Roza," He said, placing yet another sweet, gentle kiss to her cheek, kissing away the tears that fell there, "Just forget about it, the sooner you get that asshole out of your mind, the better."

She nodded and he gave her a reassuring smile, turning around to face his tattooed friend, who looked at him strangely, and an aberrant expression was stitched through her features, her eyes atypical as she gazed at him.

"Can you ride?" He asked, pointing towards the bike. Tasha nodded once, and folded her arms over her bosom as she glanced at the tall Russian, her face scrunched. "You two take my bike…I'll walk home."

"_Walk_?" She asked in disbelief, taking a step towards Rose who was swaying on the bike. "I'm sure Christian and Lissa will be going home soon, after that fucking asshole is sorted out."

"No…I think I need to be alone, for a while," He said rubbing the back of his neck, "I'll come by yours first to get my bike, and then I'll go home."

Tasha nodded, wrapping her arms around the tall man before climbing on the bike, grabbing his keys. She adjusted Rose's bare feet before revving the engine, releasing the clutch as she escaped the Dragomir Mansion with a roar. Dimitri stood there as the cold breeze blew across his face, releasing a sigh as he took his first step forward, willing himself to not turn around and kill the crippled boy in his bedroom.

Anger pulsed through him, but the emotion that dominated his body was pain. He had once told Eddie that his body was vacant of that emotion, but now, walking alone in the freezing night as he contemplated the evening, the overwhelming sense of pain controlled his body, making it hard for him to breathe. All the things Rose had been put through, caused his stomach to swirl in disgust, bile rising in his throat. He promised himself that he would never hurt her, never cause so much pain in her, that life would become unbearable for the dark haired beauty.

It was a long walk to Tasha's apartment, but Dimitri was already five minutes away from her neighbourhood within the hour, many twisted things burning in his mind, his dad, Rose, Abe and what he would do to Andre once he found out what he had done to his daughter. His phone vibrated, interrupting his thoughts as he looked at the message that glowed from the screen, Christian's name popping up immediately. The message said; _Lissa phoned her dad, and Andre's in hospital. Eric's mad as fuck, I'd watch out if I were you… _

Dimitri cleared his throat and put his phone away, just as he entered Rose's neighbour hood. The cold bit at his fingers as he placed his hands deep in his pockets, observing the area. After a long, lonely walk, he finally made it to the apartment, the tall building towering over them. His eyes searched the parking lot as he caught eye of his bike and a black, expensive looking car.

He turned to walk into the apartment block when he stopped and looked at the black car, realizing that something so exorbitant and expensive surely wouldn't belong in this side of town. He took his hands out of his pocket, ready for a fight once his eye caught some movement through the tinted windows, adrenaline pumping through him when the window rolled down.

Dimitri didn't have time to move, or even contemplate what was going on, but as the window rolled down, a silver gun was exposed, the clap of the thunderous explosion rolled off the brick walls as the small, deadly bullet sliced through the air, piercing Dimitri's stomach in a spurt of blood.

* * *

_Hmm.. I bet you all want to shoot me now..._

_The shits starting to roll! So review and let me know what you think ... you get the drill ..._

**Big thanks to Valdeh who makes me LOL! with her wacky comments, and helps me get through crappy writers block- I love ya Valy! xox**

xoxoxox


	12. Chapter 12

**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The orginal content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

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_Okay guys, chapter 12! My A/N is going to be at the bottom of this chapter, because I have a good wee bit to say :)_

_Big thanks to my awesome beta **Valdeh**, who constantly makes me laughs with her wacky comments and jokes. Your the best xoxo _

**Chapter songs-**

_**Down- Jason Walker _

_** Jar of Hearts- Glee Version (You could use Christina Perri, but I personally think she sounds like a strangled cat) _

_**Broken Strings- James Morrison ft. Nelly Furtado_**  
**

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**Chapter twelve- **The truth hurts, lies are worse...

**"These times are so hard, and they're getting even harder."~ Eminem.  
**

_**Rose…**_

Electricity sparked in the immaculate air as the resonant droning of the machines beeped through the impeccable white corridors. Reflections of the bright, fluorescent lights bounced off the pallid walls, causing my eyes to wince as I gazed at the body before me, any emotion vacant in my eyes as I stared at the man on the cold, rigid hospital bed. The 'whoosh' of a breathing machine and the persistent beeps of the heart monitor echoed loudly in my ear as I ignored the doctors and nurses running room to room, their noses stuck in charts as they rushed on by me.

I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath to the sound of a soft thud as the large, double doors opened and shut. The sound of pattering footsteps sounded behind me, joining the cadent sound of loud beeps and rhythmic breathing that filled the place. Beneath my perturbing gaze, a small tattooed hand appeared, its small fingers wrapped around a steamy cup of hot chocolate as it rested the Styrofoam covered goodness next to my still body. My eyes stayed tight on the lump that curled in the small bed, covered by nothing more than a bundle of white sheets, the smell of blood and alcohol laced the air, filling my nostrils as I resisted the urge to cry.

"Come on, Rose," Tasha whispered, as if her loud voice disturbed the reticent, sterile room. "Drink the chocolate."

"I can't," I croaked, the heavy invasion of words rippled up my oesophagus, as if it had been years since I had last spoken. I cleared my dusty throat, "I feel like I'm going to be sick."

"You've been standing here for almost four hours, Cupcake," Her soft voice was almost numbed out by the insistent beeping and my uninteresting, brain-dead mind, "Considering everything you've been through tonight, I think I should take you home."

"I'm not leaving him," I said, tasting thick salty drops of water, as my fallen tears trickled into my mouth, moistening my dry tongue. "I can't."

It had been five hours since Dimitri had been shot, and each hour since then moved on slowly as I felt his life slipping away with every tick of the clock. A shiver shattered my spine as I thought of him, lying on the cold ground outside of my apartment before anyone had discovered his bleeding, cold body.

"The doctor said he's going to be fine, Rose," My friend persisted, and I didn't need to tear my gaze away from the body before me to see that her chin was trembling as she held in the overpowering desire to cry. "Christian and Lissa have already left; you need to get some rest."

"This…this is because of me, Tasha," I whimpered, before a chain reaction of sobs exploded from my mouth and chest, causing it to be very difficult for me to stand straight. I felt my friend's strong arms hold me as I cried into her chest, my hands clutching to her desperately as I found it hard to breathe. The man, who lay before me, his whole body covered to the chin, except for an arm that slumped over his torso, lay motionless on the bed like he had been for the past four hours, after his emergency operation. "If I-I…If I hadn't of went to that…f-fucking stupid party…."

"Cupcake," Tasha murmured into my head as I slumped against her, "The only person to blame for this is the person who shot Dimitri. Last time I checked, you weren't out at one in the morning with a gun in your hand. You were in bed, sleeping off the drugs that almost got you raped."

I looked at the quiescent, motionless man wrapped in the cheap, white blankets, noticing how tubes and wires stretched from the IV on his arm and a small pulse monitor clipped onto his index finger, the long wire leading to a large machine that stood next to his bed. He didn't look like the strong minded, egotistical man that I knew. His eyes were closed, his dark lashes brushing the curve of his cheeks as he slept. Small wisps of dark brown hair fell across his face and stuck in every direction. No, he didn't look like a man. Even at almost six foot seven inches, he looked small and vulnerable, curled on his side as he slept peacefully; he looked like a sweet, innocent boy.

"Take Sonya home, Tasha," I said, raising a hand to my lips as my eyes began to sting, "I'm just going to stay here."

Through the pain that already lurched in my beating chest, an explosive bout of agony swirled in my heart as I contemplated the night. Nobody had come visited the man that lay motionless before me, Lissa stayed with her brother who was in a room three wards away from Dimitri's, and Christian had stayed with her, after looking at his friend for no more than ten minutes. Sonya immediately came once Tasha had called her; but all it took was one look at Dimitri, before she fell to the floor, bursting into such wild hysterics that the doctor had to give her something to calm down, causing her to fall asleep in the waiting room. Tasha and I were the only ones who stayed by his side throughout the entire night.

My heart broke when I realized no one in Dimitri's family, apart from Sonya, came to see if he was okay, and it devastated me to know that I had caused the pain that was spreading through his immobile body. Clips of the night unfolded before my eyes as I walked forward, sitting on the chair that was situated next to Dimitri's sleeping form, the images flicking past like a horrifying, stomach wrenching movie. A picture of his lifeless body, covered in his own blood, haunted my mind, filling my gut and throat with the desire to throw up anything I had consumed that day.

"You must think I'm a fucking idiot, if you thought for one second I'd leave you alone tonight," Tasha growled walking over to stand next to Dimitri's head, where she immediately began running her tattooed fingers through his hair. "You've been through too much, Rose, what kind of person would I be, if I just left you?"

I leaned forward, feeling the bony knuckles and veins of Dimitri's hand as I covered it with mine, closing my eyes before I pressed my head against the mattress. Guilt swelled inside of me, the burden threatened to smash me into a thousand little pieces. It was my fault that he was here, my fault that I had to be that stupid, reckless girl from New York and almost got my friend killed.

"How're you feeling?" She asked, her bright blue eyes piercing the back of my head as I held onto Dimitri's hand, my thumb tracing a deep scar on his wrist.

"I've felt better," I mumbled, resting my chin on my hand as I watched Dimitri sleep, observing closely as his chest rise and fell, almost expecting the rhythmic pattern to suddenly stop. "But I've felt worse…" I muttered, referring to my body.

The instant buzzing of the many disparate machines filled the quiet void between Tasha and me, as we fell into silence. A divergent amount of thoughts pumped through my mind, but neither Tasha nor I wanted to slice the silence with our heavy subjected words. Life went on outside our quiet, tense bubble, I could hear noises but the sounds weren't really registering with my mind; muffled calls of the nurses, persevering machines beeping, chairs squealing against the hard floor, footsteps of doctors checking in to inspect their patients.

Through the cracked curtain, I could see the sun had already risen half way in the sky, the six o'clock fog lifting considerably to expose the beautiful, vast white beach and the crashing waves as they collided with the shore. My eyes threatened to close, the layers of skin becoming so heavy that it was impossible not to close them.

"Who do you think did it?" Tasha's exhausted voice asked, a yawn breaking through her words.

"Hmm?" I asked, not able to take my gaze off Dimitri's face. His eyes were shadowed by thick purple bags, and his normally tanned face looked pale and clammy.

"Who do you think it was?" She murmured, "That shot him, I mean."

I let the question tumble through my mind, different answers appearing for every scenario I had imagined. I had never actually ended up with a solid answer, and right now, I wasn't worried. I was too busy staying awake, hoping that Dimitri would crack his eyes open, reassuring me that he wasn't comatose or dead.

"I don't know," I rumbled, placing my other hand on Dimitri's cold fingers as I caressed his muscled arm. "You know what kind of neighbourhood we live in Tasha, it could have been anybody."

"Possibly…" Tasha absently agreed; her eyes tight on Dimitri's sleeping, handsome face. "What if you're wrong, though? Someone within reason could have been aiming to kill him…"

"Who would have reason to shoot him?" I asked, lifting my gaze to look into her thoughtful blue eyes.

"Eric Dragomir." Tasha said surely, as if she had been contemplating the scenario in her head thousands of times. "He has much reason, considering how his son's three wards down in intensive care…"

"No, he wouldn't have."

"The only other scenario that fits this fucked up situation, would be if that stalker guy from New York was waiting outside our apartment," Tasha said frighteningly, filling my body with fear. "I don't want to sound like Adrian or Sydney here, but you could be being followed. These screwed up guys could have seen Dimitri, and regarded him as a threat."

"I doubt it, Tasha," I said, bringing my attention to the gorgeous man in my hands, "Dimitri and I have barely been in a conversation throughout the past two months. I still say that it was a random attack."

"So, you aren't even going to _consider_ other possibilities?" She asked, her eyes narrowing, "You're just going to cross out any leads that could actually _tell_ us, _who_ this motherfucker is?"

"We don't need to know!" I yelled loudly through a whisper, my words hissing through my clenched teeth, "Dimitri was shot. _End_ _of_. We don't need to focus on who did it, or what their morals were! The only thing that matters is getting Dimitri better and not putting pressure on him to find out who this stupid, _random_ shooter is."

"You're still not getting this!" Tasha growled through a whisper, "Look, what happens if it wasn't a random attack? We can't take the risk that the fucker might come back and actually _kill_ him this time."

"Look, you are seriously over-exaggerating here, okay?" I asked, sitting myself up straight, dropping Dimitri's hand as I looked at her. "What reasons would the person have to come back and kill Dimitri? Yeah, sure, he's an egotistical asshole, but that is no reason for someone to murder him, and I can upfront guarantee that it wasn't Robert Doru."

"Okay, so maybe it wasn't the guy from New York," Tasha agreed, looking me firm in the eye, "But there is no definite proof that Eric Dragomir didn't set something up…"

"And there is no definite proof that says he _did_ set it up," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose with my index finger and thumb, "We're just going beyond ourselves here. There's _no_ way we'll ever solve this, so can you _please_ just do yourself a favour and let the cops do there job?"

"You know, it's really reassuring to know that if it were me on that bed, you would never give up on finding the dude that shot me." She growled sarcastically.

"I'm not giving up!" I said, louder than I should have. "Tasha, we have nothing to go by… Nothing. Not even you're corrupt ideas could solve this. Obviously if you had been shot, I would be by your side throughout everything and you know that, fucks sake. I was almost raped six hours ago, and yet here I am, literally petrified for my friends health. I'm not going to run around, looking for a mysterious answer that will somehow magically bring us the answer to all our questions. The truth remains; our friend was shot, and he needs us. We don't need to be fucking running around after some futile attempt of avengement, Okay?"

Tasha glared at me, before slumping into her chair. "I'm going to go to sleep, if he wakes up…shake me."

"Don't try and turn this all around, Tasha," I said, sitting forward in my chair, "Promise me that you won't go around looking for trouble."

"I just can't sit here, Rose!" She replied, her eyes wide and bright as she stared at me, then at the man on the bed. "What kind of friend would I be if I just ignored this? What if it happens again?"

"Going around, getting ourselves into trouble isn't going to justify anything!" I darkly chuckled, raising a hand to my mouth. "We can't do anything, and if you think otherwise, you're obviously deluding yourself."

She was silent for a long time as I observed her heavy breathing, her chest rising and falling in agile movements. Her shaking hand reached until she wiped her eyes, a shattering breath leaving her lips as she looked at me again, tears in her eyes.

"Will you do it?" I asked.

She continued to look at me, her blue eyes piercing as she watched my strong face. The drugs that Andre had put in my drink were now completely gone and I could evaluate the situation clearly.

"Well, will you?" I asked again.

"Will I what?"

"Promise me you won't get into trouble," I said firmly, "Will you do it?"

Her shoulders hunched, and her eyes focused on Dimitri for a long time as she fiddled with her fingers, a vacant expression on her face as she contemplated my question. After a long moment of silence, she looked at me and we stared at each other. I noticed how her raven black hair was such a brilliant contrast to the pristine, wan walls behind her.

"Okay, whatever…" She said, her shoulders collapsing as she dejectedly agreed.

"Good," I said with a soft smile, my cheeks lifting into a fallacious grin. "You…you can go, if you want."

"I said I wasn't going to leave you, Rose."

"Look, its okay…" I said, looking at Dimitri whose eyes were twitching constantly, as though he were having a captivating dream. "I told you, I'm okay. I'm just going to sleep here, there's really no need for you to stay…"

She was silent for a long time before she stood up, and gave me a curt nod of the head, her eyes narrowing as she gathered her things. Sparks generated it the sterile air, and my attention was brought back to the sleeping Dimitri, even with one asleep I could feel the magnetic, electric force pulse between us, begging to be eradicated with the joining of our bodies. My lips tugged into a sad smile as I lifted his hand, feeling his calloused skin, bony knuckles and veins as I pressed them to my lips, closing my eyes as I did so.

"Rose, you really don't owe him anything," Tasha said; her tall, narrow form lurking at the door, activity staying wild behind her as doctors and nurses rushed down the hallways, calling orders, checking charts and dealing with hysterical families. "What you're doing is stupid. There isn't any reason for you to be staying with him all this time, and I'm pretty sure he won't be thankful towards your gesture."

"It doesn't matter," I said, keeping his hand in mine, being as careful as possible as to not knock out the pulse monitor pinching his long index finger. His eyes were still closed, and I gazed at them, watching how his soft lashes left shadows across his cheeks. His soft lips were parted as he slept peacefully. "I just … don't want to leave yet."

"I can tell you care about him, Rose," Tasha muttered, strings of black hair sticking to her forehead and neck as her lean body rested against the white wall, "I get it, okay, but just because you have these idiotic feelings towards him, doesn't mean that you should delude yourself to think that he cares about you, just because he saved you tonight; he doesn't."

"How would you know?"

"Its Dimitri," She sighed, as if it explained everything, "He didn't get his reputation through romantic dates and flowers, okay? This is the guy who was fired from his last job for fucking his boss's wife _and_ daughter. Yeah, maybe he's done a few amiable things, but the fact remains: He. Doesn't. Care."

"You think I don't know that?" I growled angrily, "I _know_ what he is, what he _does_. You must take me as a fool if you think I haven't noticed. Of course, I've noticed! That doesn't mean that I can magically stop caring, or that it's impossible for him to care for me too!"

"I'm not asking you to _magically_ stop caring!" She hissed, as her thin tattooed hands lifted to cover her face, dropping them again as she slid them down her cheeks, "I've known Dimitri for almost two years now, Cupcake. In that time, you know how many girls he's fucked around with? So many I've lost count, but you know how many relationships he's been in? None-what-so-ever. Tell me, does that seem like the actions of a _caring_ man?"

Annoyance crackled through my body, electrifying every muscle, vein, artery and capillary causing my body to tense as I gazed at the floor. The ground was an ugly combination of splats, the colours ranging from grey to yellow, metallic pieces of glitter scattered across the horrid accumulation of colours, causing the fluorescent lights to bounce up and irritate my eyes. The wooden armrests of the uncomfortable chair held my shaking hands as I resisted the urge to open my mouth, allowing an explosion of profanities to irrupt from my tongue.

"Does it matter?" I groaned, vacantly aware that a nurse with bleach blonde hair was giving us more attention than her patients, "I know what I'm getting myself into. I'm not scheming some perverted plan of seduction here, give me some fucking credit. I need to be with him, so that when he does finally wake up, he has someone other than an asshole doctor to explain what happened."

"He doesn't have fucking amnesia, Rose!" She choked through sick twisted laughter, "I'm pretty damn sure he knows exactly what went on last night, and I'm fucking positive that he doesn't need nor want you to fucking hold his hand throughout it all. That just isn't how he rolls, babe."

"I can see that trying to decipher my morals isn't going to help with your biased opinions, so could you please just leave?" I asked, flumping in my chair, "I'm not in the mood for your hypocrisy."

"If I were a hypocrite, I would be mocking you on choices that I make for myself," She said, "I'm not mocking or insulting; I'm giving you my _honest_ opinion. You say you know Dimitri? I doubt that, if you're denying the obvious. Dimitri doesn't care, and for all we know, he never will."

"Honest opinion?" I snorted, "So, let me get this straight. I'm not allowed to care for him, but you are?"

"The difference between you and me, Cupcake…" She began slowly, "…is that by the end of this? I won't have a broken heart."

My eyes lifted off the floor to fall on the tall, tattooed girl that stood before me. Her short, dark hair stuck in all directions as she gave me a single, blunt nod of the head before her eyes snapped to Dimitri. She looked at me one last time before turning her back as I watched her walk away, still at a loss for words.

**XXX**

_**Rose…**_

Multiple bouts of shivers travelled up my spine as I watched the familiar yellow cabs drive in the wide trafficked streets. The bright neon lights of Time Square flashing off the dark tinted windows as I waited for a cab, pointing my finger as I hopelessly waited for a ride. Energized matter crackled in the air as the fresh scent of rain trickled through the city, the previous gentle breeze quickly escalated into a swift, chilly gust, causing me to tighten the woollen coat that covered my torso and arms.

The impatience burned inside of me, causing the four chambers of my heart to beat in rhythm to the sound of the pounding rain. I must have been deluded to believe that I would hail a cab at this time. It was New York, I should have known better. I popped the collar of my beige coat, snuggling into the wool as it caressed my red, icy cheeks, taking a step forward to meander through the honking cars. Just as my right foot dropped from the pavement, a shock of blazing heat tore through me as I shivered against the sensation. Rough, warm hands cupped my hips, dragging me backwards until my body pressed against another person. I didn't know why, and I didn't particularly care, but I didn't resist, melting into the warm body pressed against my back. The fine, light hairs that spread across the back of my neck, lifted to the hypnotic sound of his voice.

"Don't leave me, Roza."

I closed my eyes and moaned, tilting my head upwards as I pressed my back into the heady body of the man, who had his firm, granite arms wrapped around my waist. My mouth parted as a series of silent pants escaped my lips, unable to retain my self-control as his nose skimmed the delicate skin under my ear, his soft Russian accent playing havoc with my body and mind.

"Never…"

Incoherent whispers laced in a Russian accent, slithered down my neck as his lips hovered under my ear. Hailing a cab to return to a desolate place was wiped from my mind; the man who was pressing me against his body absorbed my every thought. The electric atmosphere that buzzed between us, crackled as I completely gave myself to the moment, losing everything as I melted into his unyielding touch. I knew that I shouldn't have dropped the barriers I had fashioned around myself, but the draw was too hard to resist. The way he crafted his words. The way he looked. The way he made me feel. My body begged to release, to give in and allow myself to have fun, to touch him and let him touch me, like my body and mind wanted.

Twisting ever so slightly towards him, his eyes met mine, the most beautiful brown against the neon lights of the city. People passed us, people glanced but there was no distracting me as I watched the lights glow through his beautiful dark brown hair, as it ended just below his chiselled jaw. The light reflecting off his eyes increased as the corner of his mouth lifted into a suggestive smirk. He was so bad. So very, very bad and the thought of his touch tingled me in places that I knew shouldn't.

I needed to feel his hands on me, to feel myself pressed against him. I twisted my body completely, turning around until my hands pressed against his chest, feeling the robust definition of muscles under the thin fabric of his white t-shirt. His hands slithered to cup my hips tightly, pressing me into his hard, competent body as his dark, deadly eyes narrowed to mine. My hand continued to snake upwards, and when they reached the open collar, I grasped the fabric in my hands, dragging his face down closer to mine.

A flush flowed through my face when his arms tightened, caging me to his body as he leaned down, a sly smirk tugged on one side of his perfectly sculpted lips. The rough, hard feeling of his hands clamped onto my back, sliding up under my coat to feel the boiling expanse of my flushed back. Blazing sparks ignited between us, and a hitched moan escaped my mouth as our bodies collided, his hands animalistic and dominating against the warmth of my body.

My hands roamed everywhere on his hot, muscled torso and yet, my fingers didn't seem to reach enough. I pressed my flush into him, loving how his eyes ignited with passion. This was wrong, so, so wrong and yet it felt so right. So right that when I backed away from his touch, the unbearable thirst for him ached in my body, until I crashed into him once more, pumping my veins and mind with urges and desires, that filled me with relief so pure.

Our bodies fitted together perfectly, each nook of me fit into him like a beautiful puzzle, our bodies moulding together like the same piece of clay. I wanted more. Needed more of his touch. As if he had read my mind, his hand snaked to my face where he roughly clasped my chin in his strong, masculine hands and he twirled me around, pressing my body against a parked car, giving me no means of escape. I didn't want escape, I didn't want release, I didn't want freedom. You know what I wanted?

More.

Somewhere in the recesses of my muddled mind there was a voice. It was weak and lifeless, but it made its point. This was wrong. Not the act itself but what the act could eventually bring. It was beyond me how something that felt so good could be so wrong, but I knew it was. It was his darkness that pulled me in, the curling badness that lurked in his gaze and soul. He knew the effect he had on girls like me, or any girl for that fact, and he used it as a mind-staggering, _powerful_ weapon of seduction, inducement laced in his every action as he clawed innocent girls into his web of lust and passion. How could something so sincerely twisted, feel so good for my heart and soul?

The cold metal of the car pressed against my bare legs as he pressed himself to me, clawing his hand around my knee as he drew it to drape from his waist, causing the thin fabric of his shirt to rise. The feel of my bare skin, on his muscled waist created shocks to tingle between us as he closed the distance.

_Rose_… A voice thundered around me, as my hands clamped into Dimitri's long hair, ragged breaths exploded from our mouths as the spaces between us were eradicated. I couldn't distinguish where the voices were echoing from, and I didn't know whom they belonged to, but I didn't care. I didn't worry. My attention was solely drawn to the beautiful man between my legs as he pressed his lips to my neck, currents running through my body as my legs trembled and my gut erupted with a fluttering sensation, butterflies developing in my swarmed stomach with each touch of Dimitri's lips.

_Rose_… The voice dominated my control, as it became louder and more pronounced, Dimitri looked up and stopped what he was doing, a fold creasing between his brows as he glanced at me in confusion. I gripped at his hair and pulled him forward.

"Please, don't stop…" I moaned, squeezing my eyes shut as he smirked, crashing his lips to mine.

"Rose!"

I jolted, bouncing forward in the uncomfortable hospital chair as I was immediately blinded by the harsh fluorescent lights of the small room. The electric, beeping noises of the heart monitor continued to beat; each droning, rhythmic tone wakened me further, giving me the excess to fully observe my surroundings. Activity was efficacious and alive through the small, square window, the sight of doctors in long white coats, charts stuck to their nose with nurses frantically following behind as they went to deal with patients. I screwed my eyes together, willing to protect them against the horrid bright light that radiated from the ceiling.

"What?" I groaned, arching my back as I stretched, one arm stuck in the air and another attached to my eyes, sliding back and forth as it wakened me. I didn't particularly care who was speaking to me, or for what reason, all I wanted was to collapse back into the chair, and fall asleep.

"The drool dripping from your mouth is disgusting," That same voice said, causing me to crack open my eyes to see Dimitri siting up straight as he watched me squirm. "And I usually enjoy the sight of white liquids dripping from a woman's lip." His tanned finger lifted to tap the corner of his mouth.

I tried not to stare at his lips, remembering the dream that had taken place in my mind. I felt a sly flush creeping through my face as I watched him stare at me.

"I wasn't dro-" I muttered, wiping my fists across my mouth, feeling the wetness that lay there. "Shut up."

He chuckled loudly. "That must have been a vivid dream you were having." He said, folding his arms as he settled into the white, stiff pillows of the uncomfortable hospital bed. Cords and tubes belonging to the IV were lodged into his arm; the pulse monitor was still clipped on his large index finger. "It's freakishly erotic when you moan like that."

"I was _not_ moaning!" I grumped, feeling my face burn.

"Oh yes you were," He chuckled, placing a finger on his chin as he mockingly contemplated, "And you squeaked, gasped, groaned and panted too. It was all very amusing to watch, especially when you spoke…"

"I-I talked?" I asked, feeling a chilly gust wipe across my clammy face as the soft breeze entered through the open window. "What did I say?"

"I couldn't decipher your rumbles, it was more incoherent breaths than anything else," He said, picking up a packet of grapes as he began eating. The grapes hadn't been there when I had fallen asleep, and it was beyond me where they had come from. "I have to say though, that attractive blush spreading through your face and chest is strangely becoming… make's me wonder what things lurk in your mind, to make your face this flattering colour."

"Nothing's _lurking_," I lied, averting my eyes from his knowing ones as I gazed away, "I don't know what you're talking about." I could blatantly feel the red warmth spread through my cheeks as I resisted the urge to look at him.

"So…" He purred; curiosity stitched through his every word, "What _were_ you dreaming about?"

"I- ah," Shivers ran through my spine as I remembered his rough dominating hands, his hard body pressed to mine and the phantom of his smooth, sly grin. "I-uh, can't remember…"

The defined line of hair above his eye arched as he glanced at me, his eyes menacing as he watched the frantic rise of my chest as my heart slammed against it. His aura buzzed around him, warning me of his danger. He was bad, and it was _that_ badness that caused to me close my legs, and pray he couldn't detect the feelings he created throughout my body. I could feel the connection between us, that space that begged us to abjure, to give into one another, to feel what he had to offer, and offer what I had. The crackling electricity that hummed between us implored to be destroyed; the only way of eradication would be if our bodies finally connected.

His eyes caressed my face, and suddenly his expressions dropped as he strolled into serious territory, "How are you feeling?"

I looked at him in surprise, "_You're_ the one strapped to machines, and you're asking me if _I'm_ okay?"

"I wasn't the one who was drugged, and almost raped."

"Technically, you have been drugged, they've put so much morphine into your body, I'm surprised you can see straight," I say logically, reaching over to steal a grape from his bag. I looked at the cards that flanked his bedside tables, and scolded myself for sleeping for so long. "And I wasn't the one who was shot."

"That doesn't matter," He stated boldly, "I'm fine. Getting shot won't traumatize me…. But rape? Well, that's a lot of damage to a person's state of well being."

"I'm fine, seriously," I say, stretching my arms as I curled into the warm groove of the hospital chair. My back slightly ached from dozing off in an awkward position, but I didn't mind. "I'd probably feel better once I've slept some more."

"Makes sense considering how early you came by this morning," He chuckled, throwing a small oval-shaped, green piece of fruit into the air as he balanced his head, catching it immediately in his mouth, "Speaking off your ludicrously early arrival, I think it would be wise for me to mention that it really wasn't crucial for you to visit me - at all. Never mind at ten in the morning."

"It's only ten?" I asked, feeling stupidity bubble in my mind. I had thought I had been asleep for longer than I actually had been. I glanced around the room, willing to divert his gaze off my beetroot cheeks. "How the hell did these cards get here, they weren't there last night."

"You were here last night, too?" He asked, leaning forward as he stared at me, popping another grape into his mouth.

"Well, yeah…" I said rubbing my arm, the thin fabric of my shirt caressed my skin as I laughed, even though it wasn't funny. I just couldn't help it. "Technically … I haven't exactly left …"

"So … you're telling me that you stayed here over night?" He asked, "Just for me?"

"Uh … yeah …?"

"Listen …" He fumbled, putting down the bag of grapes as he looked at me, his face was covered by the mask he used to cover his true emotions, and I couldn't tell what was really inside. "I think you should leave …"

"Wh-what?" I stuttered as I raised my eyebrows, "I stayed with you all night, and this is what I get?"

"What do you want from me, Rose?" His eyes flashed with the mixture of anger and frustration as he whipped the blankets back, exposing his legs.

"What makes you think that I _want_ _anything_, Dimitri?" I choked, sitting up straight before I groaned in frustration, "Why is it so hard to believe that I just _wanted_ to stay?"

He climbed out of the hospital bed to reveal his body which was dressed waist down in blue, cotton pyjama bottoms. His torso and arms were bare as he leaned against the wall looking at me, the IV cords and wires continued to stick from his arm and where his hand rested, I could see the pulse monitor, but I focused on nothing but the combination of anger and distrust thick in Dimitri's face. "Stop doing this - just _stop_." He growled, lifting his hand to run through his hair, giving me access to see the gauzed bandages wrapped firmly around his stomach.

"Stop doing what!" I choked, as I stared at him.

His dark eyes narrowed on me as he took a step towards me, his expression dark as he glared, "Look, I know what you're doing…" He hissed, arching his back as he pressed his hands against the bars of the high bed, "And … you just- you need to stop."

"No, Dimitri you need to stop!" I barked stepping forward so that I stood under his tall form, his dark eyes narrowing in on me as I stood below him, determined to not back down. Energy blazed between us as I moved myself closer, feeling the heat roar between us as I lifted my finger and poked him on the chest, "You need to get control of yourself! I honestly haven't got a clue what the hell you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me, Rose," He growled in irritation, pressing the palm of his hand to his eyes, "You know exactly what you're doing, and I'm sorry to say that it won't work."

"Could you _please_ tell me what the hell is going on here?" I yelped, watching as he dropped his hand to let it swing by his side.

"It's been _two_ _months_ since we last talked," He growled angrily as he leaned against the bed, I could see from his eyes that rage chained inside of him, and it was ready to explode, willing to rip of it's caging chains to irrupt in my face. "Don't delude yourself into thinking that because I saved you from being raped, and that I was shot … that we have some damn connection going on here - because we sure as hell don't. After I get out of this fucking hospital, things are going back to the way they were."

I slumped against the wall in dejection, backing away from his over powering presence. "You know what I want, Dimitri? I guess … I just want the truth - for once, I want you to be completely honest with me," I affirmed, my eyes stinging as I held in tears.

"You want me to be honest? About what?" He asked, slumping against the opposite wall from mine, frustration layered on his face. His eyes bore into me, and no trace of the earlier playfulness or laughter was there. Only anger. Only pain. "What is it that I'm supposedly not being honest about?"

"Everything! What you want … how you feel," My voice had lowered until a mere whisper, "Who you are …"

He made no motion to move towards me, the light shone off his hair but his eyes remained dark as they securely rooted themselves to my face, tints of raging fury laced through every pigment of colour in his beautiful irises.

"You know what? Just save it, Dimitri. I'm sick and tired of these bullshit charades, your acts and your constant flip-flopping. I'm fucking exhausted trying to read these mixed messages and I'm through. I'm done. _Done_. You win, okay? I told you all about my mom, Abe – I – I _trusted_ you, and yet here you are, continuing to pretend like nothing reaches that black, cold heart of yours. I don't know what you wanted from me … I don't know who you are."

"Fucking hell." He turned away, shaking his head as a painful laugh escaped from his chest, he turned back around, his eyes light in sick amusement as an emotionless smirk spread across his lips. "You want to know who I am?" He chuckled, spreading his arms out to reveal himself as he fully expose what he was, what he'd done. His eyes looked me straight on, the unfeeling glint in his pupil ignited before me. "Take a long look, baby, because what you see is what you get. I'm a dickhead. A user. A _slut_. I never pretended to be anything more, or anything less. This is me. From the start, I've made this clear, made it plain and simple – don't blame me for your mixed interpretations of what I call fun, okay? I don't care, sweetheart, and I never will."

"You know I don't believe that," I growled, determined to stay firm on my ground, and put up a fight. Dimitri said that I couldn't defend myself when it came to guys, and I was willing to prove that I could. "You may be many things. A liar - for starts, a womanizer, an asshole, a dickhead, but I refuse to believe that you're some … heartless, uncaring man, okay? I've seen you care, Dimitri. I've seen it."

He chuckled darkly as he folded his arms, his tongue running along his bottom lip as he looked at me in amusement. "Oh, really? Would you care to divulge what exactly you've seen me care about?"

"I've seen you care about m-" My voice hitched, but I swallowed against it, "Me. I've seen you care about me."

He chuckled darkly again, placing one foot in front of the other as he stood before me, bending down until his nose almost touched mine. "Like I said before, don't delude yourself. You need to do yourself a favour, and rip yourself from this illusion that you're living in. I don't care about you; fuck it, I don't care about anybody."

"Not even your family?" I hitched; my voice breaking.

"_Especially_ my family, as the saying goes 'we learn from the master'," He growled, "What I am today is what my family made me, so instead of coming to me with your pathetic bullshit, go to them. I'm not interested in anything you have to offer, Rose … especially not a relationship."

"Who said anything about a relationship?" I choked, "God! You … you're so far up your own ass! Don't worry; never in hell would I ever get with an asshole like you, _Belikov_."

"As much as I'm flattered that you actually contemplated the scenario to reject 'getting with me', the fact remains standing- I didn't fucking ask, _Hathaway_."

Pain coiled in my stomach, and my mouth tingled as my throat pulsed, trying my hardest not to throw up. "Lie all you want Dimitri; Go on … you might as well, considering the amount of bullshit that's left your mouth. You honestly expect me to sit here and believe this crap? That you've never felt anything, and never will? … Where's the guy who sat with me for seven hours and listened to me whilst I poured my heart out? Where's the man who protected me against my father? And where's the guy that saved me from being raped, huh? You're not the amazing man I've grown to respect, you're an asshole. A sleazy, slutty asshole."

He back away slightly as he released a pained breath, tilting his head forward as he released an aggravated sneer, "I never denied who I was, Rose. It's been there since the fucking beginning, clear as day, written in black and white. I've told you this from the start, you've seen what I am; it's not my fault that you're only realizing this now. No one can change me- certainly not you."

"I never thought I was the one girl that could tame you, Dimitri. I never for once thought that I could change who you are, but just because I won't change it, doesn't mean I can't accept it. I know what you've done, what you've continued to do, and … it doesn't matter to me. I was never looking for a relationship with you, I know you aren't the man to commit – I took what I wanted from you, and you took what you wanted from me and at the end of the day, we both got what we deserve: nothing. You think I'm the one who's deluded? Who wants a relationship? Honey, I haven't mentioned getting with you once, so I think it's about time you ripped your head out of your ass."

"So you still believe I care, huh?"

"Yes."

"Well, seeing as how there is no other possible way for you to understand just how much I _don't_ care, I'm going to share a little secret with you …" He said, his eyes mischievous as he watched me squirm under his gaze. "You're wondering where that '_amazing'_ guy is? The guy that you've grown to respect? He. Doesn't. Exist. Avery told you that day in 'The Court' that she heard your secrets because Abe shouted it at you all over the party, right? … You want to hear the truth, and finally see that I couldn't give a fuck about you? I told her. I told her everything, for sex. That's just who I am, and I love to see you justify that."

"You … told her?" I mumbled, feeling my chin tremble as tears threatened to fall from my eyes, my heart felt heavy and I felt sick. I wasn't angry. I wasn't pissed. I was devastated. "Why would you do that?"

"For sex."

"For … sex? You fucking almost ruined my life … for sex?"

Dimitri stood, and he stared, having no response to my disbelief, "I think it's best that you leave now," He growled, walking towards his bed where he winced before lying himself down; "I think it's safe to say that you've completely exhausted me with your bullshit, and that I'm not sure whether I'm totally sane right now; So just leave before you make me do something that I'll regret."

"Fuck you, asshole." I growled, my cheeks roared red and my heart hammered against my chest as I walked closer to him, where the blue hospital chair lay. He ignored me as I lifted my jacket, and glared at him before leaving his room, ignoring the electricity that sparked in the immaculate air as the resonant droning of the machines beeped through the impeccable white corridors, tears gushing from my eyes as I clawed my chest, hoping my heart didn't fall out.

**XXX**

_**Dimitri…**_

"_Dad, I don't think we should wake him … you heard what the nurse said."_

"_Nonsense, boy. I have some significant business that needs to be discussed, I can't relay the orders if he's unconscious to hear it." _

"_Maybe we could come back another time? He won't be able to do your order until he's better anyway…"_

The smell of alcohol and gauze overwhelmed his nostrils when he felt a hand shove at his shoulder. The movement was rough, causing the wound on his stomach to thump in pain as he lay on his back, rubbing his eyes against the light. His vision was hazy, and as he rubbed he was vacantly aware of two blurry silhouettes that stood before him, one taller than the other as they watched him. Dimitri continued to rub at his raw eyes, the pain of the fluorescent lighting stinging his retinas as he finally focused on the forms of Ibrahim and Edison Mazur.

He winced as he placed his shaky arms under him, pushing himself up into a sitting position as he slumped against the uncomfortable white cushions. The morphine was beginning to wear off and the pain spread through his skin like, lava, hot agony blazed in every molecule of his body, causing his face and hands to become clammy. A cold breeze caressed his face and with an uncaring aptitude he glanced at the open window, the curtains flapping as the gust whooshed through the opened windows, giving Dimitri permission to see the beautiful black ocean, the reflection of the bright, full moon glittering across the crashing waves.

"Belikov." Abe said, and Dimitri's attention was brought immediately to his boss. It was clear looking at Abe that he held a great amount of authority, the air that buzzed around him screamed ascendancy and power. His pressed suit fitted his tall body perfectly, and his nose was upturned as he glanced at the 'common' hospital room. As expected, his hair was gelled back and his goatee had been trimmed perfectly.

"Sir?" Dimitri winced, resisting the urge to cough up blood. He knew that blood wouldn't actually leave his mouth, but with the pain thumping through his agonized body, it felt like he could have coughed blood for days.

"I believe praise, is in order," Abe hissed, holding onto his pimp stick as he stood straight at the end of the bed. Dimitri inspected Mazur and his son, observing their faces especially Eddie's, noticing how a secretive bout of anger lurked in his bloodshot eyes, how his mouth twisted into a feral growl. "Eric Dragomir informed me of the events that had taken place last night, and I feel that my thanks should be bestowed upon you."

"Sorry, sir?" Dimitri asked, hardly able to believe his ears.

"Andre admitted to abusively forcing himself onto my daughter, and I want to thank you for, as you kids would call it, 'kicking his shit in'," He continued, his serpent eyes tight on Dimitri's tormented form. "We cannot punish him the way I would have liked, considering as how he is my collaborators son, but this will not go on ignored."

"Rose …" Dimitri swallowed as her name reaches his lips, "doesn't have anything to do with the unions, sir … would it be wise to penalize him for this?"

"Whether or not Rosemarie contributes towards the unions, is not relevant," Abe growled, causing an angry Eddie to nod next to him, "Andre Dragomir hurt my daughter, and for that alone, he will be punished severely."

Dimitri felt warmth spread through him before he cleared his throat, "I understand, sir." He choked, resting a hand next to his throbbing stomach, "Was there any other reason you came to visit?"

"Yes, actually …" He began, staring at Dimitri's stomach, "I've come to discuss you're injury. Did you see the attacker?"

"No, I'm sorry to say," he replied with a groan, feeling the painful molten liquid spread through his stomach, "I couldn't distinguish the gender either, sir, the darkness made it difficult to see who it was."

"Can you think of any reason that this aggressor might have fired at you?" Abe questioned, and Dimitri knew that he was being interrogated due to the paranoia that ran through the unions and Abe's mind. No reason that passed through his mind seemed suitable or right, he couldn't think why someone would have shot him. He did, however, have a suspicion of why the person was there in the first place.

"No, sir," He replied, "But I have something interesting that you might like to hear."

Abe looked at him in curiosity before nodding his head at Eddie; the younger Mazur gave a curt nod in response before closing the door, strolling back over to stand next to his father's taller form. "Yes, what is it?"

"Well, I think it was one of those thugs from New York, looking for Rose again," Dimitri stated truthfully folding his arms. A different kind of pain spread through his heart as he thought of the girl who he had crushed only hours before. Dimitri had been a dick, an asshole and he hated himself for it. All Rose tried to do was make sure he was okay, and yet, he treated her like a piece of crap, like he did with everyone who cared about him. His heart hammered against his chest as he tried to ignore the devastating thoughts circulating around his fragile mind. "She hasn't received one note in almost three weeks now; I had my suspicions that they would make an appearance soon. Who else would be directly under her apartment at that time of night?"

"We have nothing to solidify your suspicions, Belikov," His boss replied, his pressed suit fitting tight to his arm as he rubbed his chin, jaw and cheek, "Can you remember what the last note said?"

"Yeah, Natasha Ozera called me as soon as Rose discovered the note," Dimitri said, "It was twenty days ago, and the note said '_You're_ _falling for their lies, Mazur, come home …"_

"I see," Abe said, continuing to rub his cheek with his hand as he contemplated in silence for a long time, "From the content of that last message, there is a definite sense of desperation towards the girl, someone wants her to 'come home', we cannot assume anything yet – it could be a silly prank, a message from the man whom she attacked, or it could very well be a warning from Victor Dashkov himself."

"Why would Victor Dashkov have interest in Rose?"

"Whether Rosemarie knows this or not, holds no significance," Abe began slowly, "She is apart of my family, and has the Mazur blood pounding through her veins; that alone makes her extremely valuable. Victor stations his union in New York, and by 'come home' he could be luring her towards his organization. I hold it on great authority that it was one of Victor's men."

"With all due respect, sir, how would Victor have gained access to Rose's past?"

"Edison took matters into his own hands by informing me of the little trick that Avery Lazar pulled, a few months back when you still attended St Vladimir's." Abe growled, "Weak actions of a very weak girl, I say. Thanks to her foolish attempt of retaliation, this news could have turned into the wrong hands. Victor has men working for him that are younger than you, Belikov, and it isn't impossible that he could have sent said men to interrogate Rosemarie's classmates."

"Don't you think that's a little farfetched, sir?"

"I'm not taking the chance, boy," Abe growled, "And you should very well know that. Due to the events that have unfolded throughout the past two months, I will delineate the tasks I need you to abide … understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"It has come to my attention, that you are close friend to Christian Ozera, who owns the apartment which my daughter is staying in," He began confidently, "I cannot let the possibility of Rosemarie getting hurt slide, and so I request that you move into that apartment and keep a close eye on my daughter. I don't care how you do it, or what you do to achieve it, but within the month, I want you moved out of your father's house and into the Ozera apartment, do you understand?"

Dimitri gave no response but Abe knew the message had been driven through his mind. Dimitri was sincerely fucked. Only hours before, he had seriously hurt the girl he was supposedly meant to protect; he didn't see how this could have unravel and actually work. Rose seemed like a pretty self-sufficient girl and Dimitri knew for a fact that she wouldn't stand for anyone sticking up for her.

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Abe replied, looking at the room, smirking when his eyes fell on the many flowers and cards Dimitri's admirers had sent him. "Get some sleep, Belikov, I want that order accomplished as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

With that, Abe turned around, opened the door and advanced down the pristine white corridors. Eddie followed closely behind him as the Mazur's sauntered out of the hospital and into their excessively, fancy car. The quiet room absorbed Dimitri, the doctor had taken a few blood tests, and had removed the IV drip that hung from his arm, the heart monitor was detached, and the only sound that he could concentrate on, was the muffled sound of activity outside his room, and the sounds of cars zooming down the road that lay right below his window.

He winced as he reached across the table that stood next to him, taking hold on a small control with a red button on it. He pressed the button twice and collapsed in his pillows, feeling the horrible sting slice through his stomach, crippling him and causing his face to scrunch in pain. He turned his head, looking for a distraction from the agony when his gaze fell upon the mountains of cards and flowers that decorated his small room, a grimace tearing across his face as he read the soft worded messages.

"Yes, Mr. Belikov?" The young nurse asked as she ran into the room, her actions frantic as she walked closer to Dimitri, who lay in severe pain. "Can you I get you anything?"

"I was wondering when I was getting my next round of medication," He winced, and he could feel what seemed like a pulse, thumping in his stomach. "I think my last bout is starting to wear off."

"Of course." The nurse replied, nodding her head as she left the room.

Dimitri collapsed back into pillows once the nurse was out of sight, closing his eyes against the pain. He didn't like admitting that he needed help, and he certainly didn't like being useless, like he was at that moment, trapped in the bed. He wanted to ignore the pulsing agony that stretched across his stomach, wanting nothing more to just rip the blankets from his body and leave the hospital.

As he twisted and turned, his eyes fell upon his black cell phone that lay on the table next to his flowers. Without giving it much thought, he picked up the small device and dialled the number he had come to learn.

The tones hummed in his ear as he waited for the phone to be picked up, hoping that one certain girl didn't answer.

The receiver had been lifted, and the sound of rustling clothes sounded in the background as Rose's voice glided through the phone, "Hello?" Dimitri swallowed the clump of emotion that threatened to rear its head, closing his eyes as he took the phone away from his ear, breathing heavily.

"Hello?" He heard Rose ask again, crippling pain tore through his heart as he pressed the device back his ear.

"It's Dimitri."

"Oh, you've got to be fucking _kidding_ me," She growled, and although she sounded pissed, Dimitri could hear the pain that etched through every syllable. "What do you want?"

"I didn't call to start an argument, Rose," He said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he pictured her face, scrunched up in hatred. "I was looking for Christian."

"Don't you have his cell phone number?"

"I – I … I do …" Dimitri stuttered, clearing his throat, wincing immediately afterwards from the contraction that ripped through his stomach, "I don't know why I called the apartments number."

"I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that you like making my life miserable."

"Come on, that isn't fair-"

"_Fair_? Fair? You want to know what isn't fucking fair?" She roared, "The fact that you told my secrets to a girl that I despise, no less. The fact that I trusted you and you threw it in my face. You have no fucking right, telling me that _I'm_ not fair. I'd like to think after all the bullshit you put me through; I'd have the liberty to do whatever the fuck I want."

"This probably isn't worth mentioning, but I told Avery before I got to know you Rose, I would never have done it had I known you first!" Dimitri choked, keeping reign on his emotions.

"You're right-it wasn't worth mentioning because the fact remains; _you_ _told_ _her_," She growled. He had seen her earlier, tears in eyes as she stormed away, but now, when Dimitri listened to her hurt words, he felt worse than he ever had in his life. "What's the point in you telling me this bullshit anyway? You. Don't. Care. Remember? Why should you try and justify what you did?"

"I-I, Jesus Christ, Rose I don't know, okay?" Dimitri groaned, "Look … I'm sorry for what I did. I don't know … God, I don't know how I could ever condone the things I've done, and I'm sorry."

All Dimitri could hear was the deafening sound of silence as Rose waited on the other line. Suddenly an explosive bout of laughter sliced through the receiver causing Dimitri to wince. "You're _sorry_?" She chuckled, "Really? … You're _sorry_? Last night, that guy thought I was an addict getting high, because of those God damn rumours, and you're sorry?"

"I guess … I don't know, Rose, of course I'm sorry."

"Well, as long as you got sex, right?" She chuckled darkly. "Hurting people doesn't matter to you, as long as you get to stick your dick into something, am I right?"

"No, Rose just listen, please!"

"Listen? Why would I listen to you?" She hissed, "Wait, never mind … go on, talk to me. Better yet, tell me everything about you and your past so that I can make fliers and pass them around the fucking place!"

"What do you want Rose?" Dimitri groaned, "I said I was sorry, I apologized!"

"Aw, you apologized," She sarcastically cooed, "Not like it means anything. Oh, and for the record Dickitri, I don't want anything from you, okay? All I want is for you to fucking disappear out of my life, got that?"

He could hear her voice quieten, and he knew she was about to hang up. "Wait, Rose!"

Her growl erupted through the phone, "I'm finished talking, Dimitri. I'm fed up with all this crap," She groaned in frustration, "So, I'm going to leave now and catch up on all the rest I lost whilst I stood next to you on your hospital bed."

"Wait! Rose- NO!"

"Goodbye, Dimitri."

The phone line went dead with the continuing drone of irritating hums. Dimitri clenched the phone in his head and closed his eyes, pressing a hand against them as he winced in pain. He didn't know how he was going to solve things with Rose, and as he lay there with pain blazing through his gut and heart, he knew that this time, he had severely fucked up.

* * *

_Firstly, I wanted to let you know that Adrian and Sydney's links are on my profile. (The link of what I think they look like)_

_And, I want to apologize for not having this updated sooner, Valdeh, being the amazing beta she is, tried to get me moving with Chapter 13, by refusing to give this chapter to me until I was finished that one. Eventullay, I got it done but then my internet took a spazzy and I couldn't get it touch with her... so apologies!  
_

_Okay, not much went on in this chapter, but it was a vital point in the story. It was also one of the first chapters of the transmission process, and I hate those so much, so I honestly do need you to tell me what you thought of this chapter because it's driving me insane! x( I keep looking at my work and seeing that it needs improving, but I can't pin-point where! It's seriously annoying the shit clean out of me, but no matter where I look and improve things, my chapters seem to shout 'lousy' at me, so I would seriously appreciate it if you had anything on your mind about my work, and told me through a review. Please, be as constructive as you like because I'm seriously craving constructive critism right now. It'll help me in the long run!_

_Tell me your thoughts x)_

_thankyouuuuuu *blows thousands of kisses*_

_xoxoxox  
_


	13. Chapter 13

**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The orginal content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

* * *

_Hey, this is chapter 13 reposted :) The last chapter had a lot of mistakes, mainly because my beta and I lost contact for a few days, but she's back :) and here's the new, better chapter haha :P Read and Review :)_

_Big thanks to Valdeh for editing this chapter :) you rock Val xo  
_

**Chapter songs-**

_** Memories- Within Temptation_

_** The reason- Hoobastank_

_** Misery loves Company- The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen- **I'm not a perfect person

**"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."~Mahatma Ghandi**

_**Rose…**_

"Please, can we watch something other than The Notebook," I said, curled on the couch in my pyjamas, a pillow on my lap as I placed popcorn in my mouth, watching in amusement as Sydney and Lissa fiddled with the DVD player. Tasha and I relaxed, smirks on our faces as we watched their frustration grow, "I'm fed up watching all these bullshit romantic movies."

Tasha snorted beside me. "I have to say I agree with Cupcake," She commented, biting her lip as she took a handful of popcorn, setting it on her pyjama clad lap. "We've been sitting here for almost eleven hours, watching movies and every single god damned one has been romantic."

Sydney spun around, her eyes wide and her face slightly red as she growled at us, "Tell you what, you can decide which movie we can watch once you actually start helping!" She screeched, "Tasha, it's your fault that we're in this situation- I can't get this fucking DVD player to work!"

"The movie was making me cringe." Tasha replied; shrugging her shoulders as glanced passed Sydney, looking at the large ornament that she had thrown at the TV, a smirk on her face.

"It's Titanic!" She yelped, "It's supposed to be fluffy and cute - plus, you didn't seem to mind it when Rose was naked on the couch, now, did you?"

For a second I thought she had been talking about me, but with little thought I realized she was referring to Kate Winslet's character in the movie, I rolled my eye and continued eating my popcorn, enjoying how Lissa continued to connect wires to the television, an expression of great confusion spread through her face.

"Of course I didn't mind," Tasha chortled, "But kudos for the half lesbian joke. You hurt me a lot actually, considering how I thought my wild attraction wasn't obvious in the least."

I laughed, loving the frustration that pumped through Sydney as she held onto her hair and groaned. "I'm going to kick your ass if you don't help."

"Promises, promises."

My blonde friend glared at Tasha before spinning back around to fix the TV. Her hand continuously clamping onto her long hair before she leaned against the wall, a hand pressed to her head. "We've done everything; let's face it—we're going to have to call the guys."

"No, we can do this," Lissa said, her voice strained as her body twisted behind the TV, "I think a wire or cord was knocked out, but I think I've got it."

"About time," Tasha stated, "I was becoming impatient."

Lissa stopped what she was doing, and the two blonde haired girls glared at Tasha, their lips dropping in feral scowls. Purple bags framed Lissa's eyes, and I knew that recently, life had been tough on her. It had been two weeks since I had last seen Andre, but from the many detailed conversations I had with Tasha, she had told me that he was still in the hospital. I didn't feel any sympathy for the asshole, but I did for Lissa. I knew that she had held her brother on a high pedestal, along with the rest of her family and once she was able to accept what he had done, she was devastated.

I had been trying to forget that night, and all the events that had occurred after it, mainly the ones that pertained to Dimitri. I hadn't seen him since the argument and I didn't plan on changing that—as far as I was concerned, Dimitri Belikov had nothing to do with me. As it was, I couldn't stop thinking about him and it was driving me insane, more so than the paranoia I had been feeling recently. It had been almost five weeks since my last note and although I didn't particularly want a piece of paper stuck to my door or smashed through my window, I was becoming slightly anxious—why had they suddenly stopped? It had me on high alert, and I found it impossible to relax. I couldn't even watch a simple movie without having my eyes snap towards the door or window or relaxing my straightened spine. I felt like I was being watched.

I knew everyone was worried about me, Adrian and Sydney the most as they both knew what could happen; they had seen it all before. My blonde haired friend would frequently ask me why I was ignoring Dimitri's texts and calls, why I was completely cutting him out of my life, because apparently he's the ideal person to keep me safe with all that 'hot sexy muscle' of his. As much as I wanted to call him every single day, I couldn't. I wasn't going to put myself through that again—I didn't even have it in me to be angry at Avery. I didn't have it in me to be angry at Dimitri. I was just crushed. Crushed that the first guy I had trusted in a long while, completely stabbed me in the back.

"So, what movie are we watching?" Lissa asked, bending down to scratch her left leg peaking out of her pink pyjama shorts. "To be honest, I think I agree Tasha and Rose, watching rom com's are good to a certain extent, but this is just becoming tedious."

Sydney held up her pink bag filled with any romantic movie anyone had ever heard of, and she shoved her hand in, her eyes searching as she looked for a movie that didn't revolve around romance. She bit her lip and I knew immediately that she didn't have another DVD, her hazel eyes lifted and she rubbed her cheek, covering the little lily tattoo that lay there.

"Yeah, I don't have any movies that don't have a romantic story line," She said, plopping down to sink into the arm chair, "Guess we're going to have to just sit here, and talk."

"About what though?" I said, continuing to eat my popcorn.

"Well, Tasha and you seemed to be having a great conversation throughout most of the movies," Sydney said, watching as Lissa sat down on the beanbag chair, a bag of candy immediately making it's way to her lap. "So, let's talk about whatever the hell you guys were chatting about."

"Yes, let's talk about how completely retarded and fucked up that dude Jack is," Tasha commented, bringing back our earlier discussion of 'Titanic' and the guy there named Jack Dawson. "He let that Rose chick take the board in the middle of the fucking Pacific Ocean; I would have thrown the bitch over and took the board for myself ."

"That isn't surprising in the least," Sydney said, "Except, I would have expected you to fuck her whilst she was on the board, and then throw her off."

"Oh, another lesbian joke—funny Sage, so fucking hilarious," Tasha retorted, "Though you and I both know, that you would have followed Jack to the bottom of the ocean, just for a chance to suck his dick."

"Is that your subtle way of calling me a slut?"

"See… it's funny, because I didn't think I was being subtle at all."

"Okay, okay," I said, throwing a piece of popcorn at both of them, earning a laugh from Lissa who sat quietly, enjoying the argument. "That's enough. Why can't we go fifteen minutes without either of you having a go at each other?"

Tasha and Sydney simultaneously folded their hands and slumped into the chairs, a scowl sketched onto both of their faces. Lissa and I looked at each other, unable to help the laughs that escaped our lips. My eyes started to fill with water as I tried to hold in the laughter, but it was impossible so I continued to chuckle loudly with Lissa. Sydney and Tasha snapped their gazes to us, and my black haired friend's eyes narrowed as she looked at me.

"I wouldn't be laughing so much, if I were you," She growled, obviously in a bad mood because of my laughing, "I know something that would seriously piss you off."

"Go on, try me." I said with a laugh.

"You'll just have to wait," My friend said with a smug grin, "They should be here soon, anyway."

"Soon?" I said, wiping my eyes as I let out my last laugh, "It's almost eleven o'clock at night, who would be coming here at this time?"

"Oh, sorry, I should really rephrase my words," She sarcastically chortled, "What I meant to say is: They should be _moving_ _in_ soon, anyway."

"Someone's moving in?" Sydney asked, the words that couldn't leave my mouth left hers.

"Oh yeah, he's moving in," Tasha said, her blues on mine, "Everything's been organized; he's staying in Christian's room until he decides to leave, which probably won't be for a long time."

"He?" I choked, "Please, please tell me it isn't _him_."

"Uh-oh," Lissa whimpered from beside my feet as she sat straight on the beanbag. "That could only mean one thing."

"Dimitri Belikov's moving in here!" I yelled, standing up, the bowl of popcorn falling to the floor as I stood straight, my hands making way to my hair. "Wh-why is he moving in? He has his own house!"

"He needs help after he got shot, Rose," Tasha said, folding her legs under her as she glanced at me. "And last time I checked, Anton Belikov would not be up for playing nurse."

"I'm sure _you_ would, though." Sydney joked, a smile making way to her mouth.

"I've already explained this a million times, guys," I growled, flopping down on the seat as I tucked my legs underneath me and pressed a shaky hand to my eyes, "I don't want Belikov. You can continue these stupid assumptions that we'll end up together, but you'd be wrong—completely wrong."

"I think you'll find that you're the one who's wrong, sweetie," Sydney said, kicking her legs over the chair as she watched me, "I know you're pissed at him for telling Avery about your past, but you heard him! He barely knew you back then, and he even said himself that he would never have told her had he known you first."

"That's bullshit," I growled, "It doesn't matter to me when he fucking told her, the only thing that matters is that she knows because of him. The fact that he told her, just proves to me that he shouldn't be trusted."

"It's your life, Rose," Lissa chirped from my legs, a small smile on her stunning face, "I don't want my nose butting in anywhere it isn't needed nor wanted, but if you don't mind me saying, I think you're going a little hard on him."

"She's right, Cupcake," Tasha said, running a hand through her black crop, "Do you realize how many times he has called this god- damned apartment? How many times he's called Christian and me? Too many times, that's how much. Every call revolves around the one thing: You. 'Is Rose there?' 'Do me a favour, and tell Rose to call me… and that I'm sorry.' 'How is she? Does she talk about me?'- The kid's driving me insane!"

I tilted my head back and groaned, snapping it forward again to look at my friends, "Look, that's his problem. He should have thought about this before he started acting like a dickhead." I said, folding my arms. "Plus, Tasha, what do you care? Last time you and I had a discussion about Dimitri, was that time in the hospital. You clearly said that I would be hurt if I got with Dimitri, and that he would never be in a relationship."

Tasha groaned in frustration, her eyes widened as she fiddled with her fingers, "Yeah, okay, I did say that," She said, clearing her throat, "And I'm not saying I take it back, because I don't … but after many long, abrading conversations with the douche bag, I realized that he actually does care about you. He cares about you a _lot_. Now, I'm not saying that he'll magically jump into a relationship and start sending you flowers every other week, but take it easy on him, Rose."

"Take it easy on him?" I choked, my voice cracked as amusement and rage thumped through me, "He even told me himself that he wouldn't go out with me. I didn't even ask him, yet he had all these assumptions that I wanted to get with him."

"Could you really blame him?" Sydney offered, folding her arms as she watched me carefully, "Watching the two of you is _exhausting_. The sexual tension is obvious and tragic, and you can undoubtedly tell that he wants to plough into you, and that you want to bounce on his dick."

I stared at my blond haired friend, who had a smug smirk on her beautiful face. "No, that's disgusting."

"Really?" Tasha replied, looking at me with a sarcastic grin, "Because in my head, it's all very hot and passionate—extremely sexy."

"I thought the sight of a dick repulsed you?" Sydney joked, looking at Tasha.

"Even I can appreciate the sexiness that is Dimitri Belikov's manly anatomy." My black haired friend admitted, causing Lissa and Sydney to laugh. I continued to sit there, and stare at the gothic girl next to me, my glare deadly as I narrowed in on her. I was becoming slightly more agitated by the day, with every Dimitri related conversation. I was fed up hearing their conclusions that by the end of all this bullshit, I'd be in his arms. I was fed up picturing that scenario in my head. I was fed up wanting the picture to suddenly become true. I wanted to be done with Dimitri Belikov. I wanted him swiped from my mind and memory—I didn't need him. I didn't need to ache this way for him. I needed to actually move on.

"You have to admit though, Rose," Lissa said with a giggle as she covered her mouth, "He _is_ extremely hot."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes at the Dragomir, "What? You're complimenting another guy that isn't Christian?" I sarcastically chirped, "Isn't that against your morals or something?"

"Oh, stop bitchin' out on Liss because she can appreciate what true hotness looks like." Sydney said, giving Lissa a wink.

"I can appreciate that Dimitri is hot, it's just … I'm not going to set myself up and expect all these high standards when I know I'll only end up being disappointment." I said, with a shrug of the shoulders.

Tasha scooted closer to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder before glancing at me, her eyes serious, "Listen to me. Do you think that Dimitri would be calling about six times a day to speak to you, if he didn't care?"

"No, but—"

"Do you think that he'd be torturing Christian and me, _just_ to speak with you, if he didn't give a shit?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Do you think that this generations Casanova would so desperately try to get in contact with _one_ girl, if he had no feelings for her?"

"No! But, seriously Tasha, what should I be expecting from him?" I said, taking her arm away from my shoulders, "That he'll saunter through the doorway, a new and improved guy who suddenly attained perfect relationship material?"

Tasha laughed for a moment before straightening her face, a smile stitched to her lips, "He's still the same sarcastic, cocky Dimitri that we all love, and it doesn't matter that he isn't going to change into the perfect guy. What matters is that he's willing to try for you." Tasha said logically, lifting up her phone as she checked a message. Her eyes snapped to mine again once she was finished. "Plus, since when have you ever looked for 'perfect relationship material'?"

"I haven't!" I choked, "But you're telling me that he likes me, and I'm just letting you know that I won't be expecting a big change in him."

"Fine, don't expect a change in him," She said with a smile, "But, Cupcake, I guarantee that if you take things at his pace; he'll be yours forever."

I ignored her last comment, still completely and utterly set on what I had planned before: to keep him away from me. Some changes were obviously going to have to be made, considering how he was my newly acquired roommate, but that didn't mean that I could ignore him at every possible chance, and maybe kick him once or twice when nobody is looking. "I just can't believe he's moving in with us," I groaned, rubbing my eyes as Sydney and Lissa began chatting over some ridiculous magazine cover. "I don't think I could get use to seeing him every god damned day."

"Well, you better start getting use to it," Tasha said as she replied to a text, "Because Dimitri and Christian are on their way home now."

I sat up straight, my spine weirdly resembling a ruler's as I looked at Tasha, disbelief sketched through my expressions, "When you said he was moving in soon, I thought you meant … In-in like a weeks time! He's moving in tonight?"

As my voice increased in pitch, I had gained every bodies attention, and all eyes were on me as I wiped my forehead in panic. What was I going to say? Last time I had conversed with Dimitri Belikov, I had slammed the phone done and had agreed on cutting him out of my life for good. I think it was safe and highly realistic to say, that I was completely gobsmacked . I tried to relax once I realized my friends were staring at me strangely, but I couldn't calm down. The thought of seeing Dimitri after all this time was horrifying yet … exciting. Possibilities ran through my head; putting salt into his cereal instead of sugar, pouring flour all over his bed sheets, cutting holes into his clothes…

_Finding him naked in the shower…_

No. No. No. No. That was not something I wanted to do…

I cleared my throat, suddenly changing my thoughts in case any of my friends had discovered the image passing through my corrupt conscious. I started biting my nails in apprehension, waiting for Tasha's reply.

"Yeah, sorry, I should have mentioned it, but I thought you would have … you know… grasped it."

My eyes kept snapping to the door, a concoction of emotions brewed in my stomach as I waited for Dimitri to appear through the front door. Tasha, Sydney and Lissa soon fell into a gentle conversation as I wrapped my arms around my self and began accepting the inevitable. Dimitri Belikov was moving in. I tried to imagine it, me walking through my bedroom door in the morning, looking for a glass of orange juice, but coming to find that Dimitri had already drank it all. Or, coming in after a hard day to see that he had about three girls wrapped around him.

Sigh…

Tasha had said that Dimitri cared about me, but that didn't allow me to think for second that he would change his ways. As if I wasn't woken up enough with Tasha and Christian's sex life, I know had to listen to his, and I was willing to be bet it was louder and far more wilder than the Ozera twins. I groaned into my hand, feeling my heartbeat increase as the minutes ticked by. I tried to imagine what would happen when I saw him, how either of us would react. I was willing to try and compose myself, knowing that no good would come of me exploding into a wild rampage. I wasn't happy about this arrangement, but just as long as I didn't have to talk to the guy, I could accept it.

I heard the distinctive sound of keys rattling through the keyhole, and I heard the lock crack as Christian twisted his wrist, the door slid open. Nausea rolled through my stomach and I had to hold onto my gut, knowing that if I didn't control myself, there would be a nice barf- covered rug on the floor. All the girls eyes turned to look at the door, mine being the most fearful, I continued to hold onto my stomach, covering my shaking hands and soothing my upset gut.

Christian strolled in first, spinning the keys on his index finger as he sauntered into the living room. He bent down to give Lissa a short kiss on the cheek before he threw the keys towards the television; the small metal objects caused a sharp metallic sound to vibrate through the apartment, when they landed in the crystalized vase. He threw himself next to Lissa, causing her to almost bounce right off the enormous beanbag. She kissed him softly on the lips and a soft smile made way to my face before I heard a distinctive voice that made my skin tingle.

"I'm in the middle of something—maybe some other time."

My body twisted slightly and my hungry gaze fell upon the open door frame;, standing there with one hand against the wall, and another holding a cell phone to his ear, was Dimitri Belikov. He looked down at the ground, a smirk pasted on his lips, messy brown locks hanging in his face. He was the vision of hotness in his dark jeans, a white T-shirt, boots, and a black leather jacket. I swallowed the drool that threatened to pool in my mouth, immediately chastising myself as I tried to compose my hormones.

Just then, he glanced up meeting my eyes and the side of his mouth that had been pulled into a seductive smirk, fell and his eyes widened considerably. After a few seconds, he lowered the phone from his ear, pressing the off button as he shoved the black device into his pocket before stepping completely through the door. His smirk continued to fall as he drew closer to us, and I could have sworn that my entire body had been on fire under his penetrating gaze.

"Hey," He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. I tried to ignore that slither of perfectly sculpted stomach that peaked from his t-shirt, which had rode up slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. I couldn't help but take a peak, noticing how tanned and beautiful his body was and how each slither of muscle was defined and incredibly mouth-watering. "How are you?"

I cleared my throat and folded my arms, lifting my eyebrows slightly as I watched him, "I'm doing well."

He nodded his head and burrowed his hands into his pockets as he watched all the girls and Christian, "I'm just … ah, going to get my stuff." He shrugged his shoulders as he lifted a hand out, pointing towards the door where I realized three bags lay. I rolled my eyes and turned to look at Tasha, who wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at me . I lifted a pillow and threw it at her, knowing that Dimitri's heavy gaze was firm on me.

The room suffocated me with his presence and it was hard to ignore that he was there. It clogged up the atmosphere, and with every minuscule of atomic air that floated around us, little balls of electricity and heat touched me, causing my skin to immediately boil and tingle. I knew it was all coming from him, and a series of butterfly flutters floated through my stomach, which caused me to feel lightheaded. I hated that he had this affect on me—I didn't want to feel like at any moments time, I would jump him, that I would savagely take him as my own, that I would crash my lips to his in animalistic passion.

I didn't want to feel what I did. I didn't want my wanton desirous instincts chained, I wanted them free and I wanted to feel the electricity of his touch on my skin, feeling those familiar currents pump through my blood.

I cleared my throat as I felt a blush rising in my cheeks, my spine straightened as his voice rippled through air, causing my body to almost spasm.

"Will I just throw these into your room, Chris?" Dimitri asked, carrying three heavy bags. I imagined the rippling muscles of his arms under the sexy leather, imaging his tanned arm wired in muscle as he flexed …

_Stop it, Rose! _Imentallychastisedmyself_, Just stand up, excuse yourself and to go to bed, before you embarrass yourself._

"Yeah, dude, just put them—"

"Ah, I'm tired!" I jittered, interrupting Christian as I gave a fake yawn and stretch, "I think I'm going to lie down now."

Everyone turned to look at me, different expressions on each face. I didn't even want to look at Dimitri, in fear of what I would find there, but I looked at Tasha and Sydney, both of whom gave me a saucy wink. I swallowed my retorts and rubbed my head before half-sprinting to my bedroom. I could hear laughter radiating from outside the room, but with the slam of my door, the laughs were muted, giving me the opportunity to fake my sleep.

I tried to sleep, but with thoughts stretching to every corner of my mind? There wasn't a chance. So, like I knew I would, I lay on my back, stared at the ceiling and accepted the inevitable—no matter what Dimitri Belikov had ever done to me, I couldn't seem to stop myself. I liked him .

**XXX**

_**Dimitri…**_

The warm afternoon sun beat the back of Dimitri as he stood in front of the new window, looking at the new apartment in which he was now living. It felt strange, not seeing his father's rugged face every morning, and to actually wake up to something pleasant, instead of the overwhelming fumes of pot and alcohol. He took a step towards the kitchen, knowing that no one would be in- Tasha and Rose had left early to go job hunting seeing as how their services at 'The Court' were no longer needed and Christian had left a while before, on his way to meet Lissa. It felt nice being alone at this time, where as before, he would have been dodging the beer cans that Anton would throw at his head.

With a sigh, Dimitri poured himself a glass of water, before gulping it down and pressing a hand to his head. Although he was happy that he had a break from Anton for a while, he intensely wished that Abe hadn't asked him of this. The night before, with Dimitri's arrival, had been awkward and uncomfortable—something that he didn't want to repeat. A spike of pain sliced through his body as he remembered Rose's penetrating gaze and how her face reddened in anger. He knew that when she had excused herself, she couldn't stand to be in his presence and that alone rocked Dimitri off his feet. It felt strange, telling a girl that he wanted nothing from her, and actually _regretting_ it afterward. It felt even stranger almost begging for her, when he usually had whatever he wanted. Yeah, sure, some of the girls he usually fucked around with played hard to get, but Dimitri knew from the recesses of his mind, that they would eventually give up with their games … but with Rose? It was hard to tell. Dimitri was almost positive that she wasn't playing games and that he would never have her, and that scared the living shit out of him.

The pain on his side was numbed with the medication that the doctor had subscribed to him, but he could still feel the pain that thumped through his stomach and waist. If he moved one way too quickly or did heavy labour, the stitches that closed the deep wound would most definitely burst open, and that was something Dimitri was trying to avoid. Looking at the empty room, he realized there wasn't much to do, except call his parents.

He decided to call his father first, willing to get it over and done with. He knew that the conversation would consist of Anton's drunken blabbers and Dimitri's exasperated groans, but it needed to be done. He took the black cell phone that lay in his pocket and dialled in his old house number, pressing the device to his ear as he waited for his father to pick up.

As Anton was in a wheelchair, it took him a while to answer the phone. Dimitri was waiting for roughly around sixteen rings when his father finally answered.

"Who's this?" Anton's coarse, unrefined voice cracked through the retriever.

"It's me, pop," Dimitri said, strolling over to living room, where he sat himself down on the red couch's arm. His bare feet tapped against the clean floor, and a chill caressed his bare torso. He was quite literally only out of bed, and had stuck on a pair of jeans before he decided to call his parents.

"Dimka?" His father croaked, his voice was husky and slightly slurred, "When you coming home, boy?"

Dimitri groaned and pressed a hand to his face, wiping away the irritated scowl that pulled his features, "That's kind of why I'm calling," He replied, "I'm not coming home … for a while, at least."

"You aren't coming home!" The old man barked, a cough irrupting from his mouth, "What about me, boy? I need help, I'm crippled and old, and I can't do things that needed done for the house, I can't pay the bills."

"There are people all over the world who are in wheelchairs and provide for themselves," Dimitri groaned, "You can look after yourself, for a little while at least. I'll still send money for the bills and your fucking booze."

"Those bastards keeping you in hospital?" Anton coughed, "When I got my operation for my knees, those cunts—"

"No, I'm following an order for Abe."

Anton was silent for a long time, but Dimitri could hear his father's rough breathing and every wheeze that left his chest. "What has that old miserable bastard got you doing now?"

Dimitri didn't particularly want his father to know about his task to watch Rose, he knew that Anton would gladly take advantage of the situation. It didn't take a genius to see that his father was far too interested in Rose, and that it wasn't normal. Anton's motives were sick, he didn't want Rose because she was pretty or because she was sweet and possibly one of the most amazing girls Dimitri had ever met. No. He wanted to use her, use her against Abe, because whether or not Rose knew it, she was extremely important to Ibrahim Mazur. Anton Belikov wanted to abuse that fact.

"Ah, I'm staying at a friend's."

"What friend?"

"Just someone from the union," Dimitri lied, "Mazur wants us all together, some faulty shipments and cargo have been making its way through and he needs me near by in case my help is needed."

"That Mazur bastard, first he—"

Dimitri groaned as Anton began one of his many famous rants about Ibrahim Mazur. He ignored everything his father had to say, but eventually it all became too much, "Listen, I gotta go."

With that, hearing but ignoring his father's protests, Dimitri hung up his phone and lay down on the couch. Talking to his father was exhausting and life-draining, and at times, Dimitri really regretted ever allowing the old man to live with him. He remembered a time when the house had been his alone, and he didn't have to worry about his father, who was stuck in the hospital or a hostile for the elderly or crippled. There were times when he wished he could reverse everything, and replay life from the beginning, knowing for a fact that he would have had things much easier.

For one, he wouldn't be involved with Abe and Eric's bullshit, and he wouldn't feel guilty about every god damned thing he'd ever done. He wouldn't have a disabled, drunken father and his family would probably still be united. He would have been with Rose, and they would be happy, without the drama, without the bullshit, without all the fucking pain that tied Dimitri's life in a bow. He was fed up wishing things could be different, that things could be better .

He sighed, and with a groan, he pushed himself up, dialling in his mother's number. He hadn't seen Olena in almost four months, and although it made him sound gay and pathetic, Dimitri really missed his mom and sisters. They didn't live too far away, but with the life that Dimitri led, he couldn't possibly take the chance that his mother would suspect something was wrong, and investigate into the matter further. Having a criminal, alcoholic father, and a warm-hearted, law stricken mother was a strange family indeed.

Already imaging his mother's soft words, his pressed the phone to his ear, a smile on his lips. It rang four times before someone picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" His small nephew asked, his voice cute and soft.

"Hey, kiddo," Dimitri said, folding his arms with a smirk, "It's Dimitri."

"Uncle Dimka?" The kid chirped, and Dimitri could distinctly hear the coos of a small baby in the background, and he knew that it was his sister, Karolina's baby, Zoya. Paul ripped the phone from his ear, "GRANDMAMA, UNCLE DIMKA'S ON THE PHONE!"

Dimitri chuckled, and an overwhelming bout of nostalgia swirled in his stomach as he imagined his little nephew and niece, his sisters and of course, his mother. He missed them a lot, but with the occupation he held, he knew he couldn't visit them as much as he liked. Through the phone, he heard the sound the plates and cutlery dropping, and he knew that his mother had been cooking before she frantically ran for the phone.

"Dimka?" She asked, and he could almost see her clutching the phone, "God, baby, why haven't you called?"

"Sorry, momma," Dimitri smiled, his eyes stinging, "I just got out of the hospital last night, and I haven't had the chance."

"Your father is useless," She growled, and Dimitri knew that she was using her bad cop voice, "I left work early last night so that I could finally visit you, and your imbecile of a father couldn't tell me where you were … listen baby, I'm sorry that I haven't had the chance to visit you before, it's just … I'm not on the case of your shooting, and I wasn't put on the team to investigate any suspects, and everything that's been going on—"

"Mom, calm down," Dimitri said with a chuckle, "I'm fine, honestly. I just wanted to call you, to let you know that I'm out of hospital, so you can stop sending Sonya and Karolina to check up on me."

He was laughing as his mother sputtered, "I didn't send them!" Olena joked, "But anyway, sweetheart, you just need to know that the team is still on the look for whoever shot you, and although I'm not on that case, I'm still on the look-out."

Dimitri resisted the urge to groan. He didn't have to be told by Abe to know that his boss didn't want anything to do with the police. One of Abe's many motto's was 'Fight fire with fire' and he was still adamant on his earlier suspicions; Abe thought it was an act set up by one of his associates, and he wanted revenge on his own terms. He didn't like the cops sniffing around anything that had to do with him, Dimitri being shot, was one of those things.

Dimitri hadn't given away anything, he had fervently told the police that questioned him that he didn't see the shooters, and he had no idea where the shot had come from. He had a feeling that the police suspected his lies, but what victim would lie about the attacker? They questioned him for no more than a day, but Olena was relentless, and she was determined to find out who the shooter was.

"You don't have to do that, mom," Dimitri said, stretching his arm across his torso. His eyes snapped up when he heard the turning of keys on the lock, and immediately, his spine straightened as he bolted up and quickly said goodbye to his mother. "Sorry, I have to do something … can I call you back later?"

"Sure, baby," She chirped, but he could sense suspicion, "Call me soon."

"Okay, bye."

Dimitri tore the phone from his ear and rammed it into his pocket before he collapsed on the couch. The door flew open and an alone Rose strolled through the door, her cheeks red with perspiration and her breathing was heavy. She kicked off her cute shoes before grabbing a hair-tie, pulling her hair back into a messy bun. Dimitri watched entranced as she sedately ignored him, her hands clamping around a pile of mail as her fingers flicked through the letters.

"Hey." He said, standing up to walk closer to her.

Her eyes lifted and he noticed that she quickly glanced at his naked abdomen before her gaze locked with his. "Hi."

The tension was thick around them, the pressuring atmosphere weighed on their shoulders as she walked away from his tall form, and he solemnly followed her. He could feel the electricity and heat bounce between him, and that space that begged to be eradicated. Dimitri cleared his throat as Rose walked to kitchen, pouring water into her hands before splashing her face. He tried to ignore the trickles of water that dripped from her chin, and lost itself in her cleavage, a great ball of emotion lodged in his throat and it took all he had to swallow it down.

"Rough day?" He asked, folding his arms over his bare chest as she spun around, her eyes dark.

She silently watched him, her eyebrows dropped as she scowled and she folded her arms as she leaned against the counters, watching him carefully. He felt like a ten million Watt light shone on him, and he found himself wincing from her glare.

"So, you're just going to carry on like nothing happened?" She finally asked, her eyebrows lifting as he watched her.

He groaned and tilted his head back before snapping his attention to her once more, "I said I was sorry, Rose," He affirmed, folding his arms, "What more do you want?"

"We've already been through this Dimitri, I want nothing from you," He noticed that a cute flush spread through her cheeks, and she quickly averted her gaze, "All I wanted, was for you to stay the fuck away from me—but that's hardly possible considering how I now live with you, so just pretend that I'm not here, okay?"

She tried to walk past him, into the living room, but he quickly stood before her and blocked her entrance. "I don't want it to be like this between us."

"Well, you should have thought about that before you started going around, telling sluts about my past." He groaned in frustration and she shoved passed him, making way for the front door. "I'm going out now, when I get back I want you to finally have it in your head that I'm not going to forgive you, and that you need to give up this futile attempt of redemption."

"Rose—"

"Fuck off, Dimitri."

And with that, Rose put her shoes back on and stormed out of the apartment, the door collided loudly with the frame and a boisterous bang thrummed through the apartment. Dimitri leaned against the wall as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb, exhaling loudly. He couldn't let this happen; he couldn't just allow Rose to walk away from him without a fight. With lightening speed he bolted into his bedroom and picked up his boots, throwing them on his feet before grabbing his leather jacket. He didn't even bother to put on a shirt; instead he flung the leather over his shoulders, and burrowed his arms through as he followed Rose, his bare chest and stomach visible to all.

He could see that she had taken the elevator, so immediately, he charged down the stairs, taking almost three at a time with his long legs. Finally, he burst through the lobby and ran towards the elevator, waiting impatiently as the doors bounced open. Rose stood there alone and just as she looked up to leave the small lift, her eyes brightened in shock when Dimitri stormed into the small metallic room, grabbing her by the shoulders as he pressed her against the wall. With one hand he stretched his arm back to press the button that would lock the elevator doors. Once he was satisfied, his hands snaked around Rose's waist to press the beautiful girl against the wall, noticing how her breathing became erratic and harsh.

"Get off me, Dimitri," She squirmed, pushing his strong arms away, "I'm going to be late for my job interview."

"You should have thought about that before you decided to storm out on me." He growled, caging her with his leather clad arms. The zipper of his leather jacket was wide open, leaving his chest and stomach bare and making it extremely available for Rose to see how much she affected him. His muscled chest fell and rose quickly as his gaze bolted with hers.

"Dimitri, I don't want to do this." She whimpered, bowing her head as she silently panted.

"You have no choice," Dimitri murmured, tilting his head to get a better look at her, "You won't let me explain this to you willingly, but you are going to listen to what I have to say."

She groaned and tilted her head, pressing it against the wall. Dimitri resisted the urge to bend down and press soft, barely there kisses along her neck, and it took all he had to not nibble away at her jaw.

"Dimitri," She moaned sadly, "Please—don't make me do this; I've made up my mind!"

"Just … just hear me out, Rose," Dimitri mumbled, a throbbing magnitude of emotion burrowed in his throat and he found it painful to speak. "Just listen to me … I've made some seriously bad decisions – incredibly fucked up and stupid decisions—_believe_ _me_. So many unbelievable and messed up things have happened to my family and me because of the choices I've made, and I don't want you to be one of my many regrets. I don't want you to be categorized as a mistake that happened in my past, okay? Fuck. I'm crap at explaining myself Rose … but … I just want you to know that you mean too much to me, to just let you fade from my life. You're just so … Jesus Christ, you're just so amazing and I can't take the possibility that I'll never be able to …"

Rose swallowed loudly and placed a hand on Dimitri's chest, causing his muscled body to rise in goose bumps. "Never be able to what?" She whispered, her voice so soft that Dimitri had to look at her, seeing that her eyes were glassy with refined tears.

"To touch you…" He whispered, bending in closer as he took one hand from the wall and caressed her face, pushing a beautiful strand of hair behind her ear as he watched her, his heart thumping violently against his chest. "To be with you…"

Dimitri's arms were shaking slightly as Rose looked up at him, her eyes thick with emotion, "Why did you do it?" She whispered.

"Because I was a dickhead, Rose," He murmured, feeling the heat that pulsed between them, he wanted more than anything to close the distance and just press his lips to hers. "I just wanted sex and I didn't know you—I fucking despised your father and I just assumed you were like him … but you aren't. You aren't like anybody I've ever met."

She smiled softly, and backed away from the wall, wrapped her arms around his strong waist as she fitted her head into that nook of his neck where she belonged. He exhaled loudly and wrapped his arms around her small body, almost crying in joy as he pressed his head against her beautiful hair.

"So what's going to happen now?" Rose asked, her beautiful voice caused his skin to rise in goose bumps as her breath caressed his neck. "I mean … with us."

Dimitri sighed and pressed his lips to the top of her head as he pressed her against the wall again, the erratic beating of his heart slammed against his chest as he untangled his arms from her, pressing his hands against the wall as he bent down and looked into her eyes. "I'm not saying that what we have … is—is a relationship …" He began, his accented voice shaky as he looked at her. "But … I'm willing to try, for you Roza."

A small yet amazing smile lifted on Rose's face as she lifted her hand and placed it behind his neck, immediately her fingers began ravelling around his soft hair as she looked at him. He smiled sweetly at her before she stood on her tippy-toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand stayed stuck in his hair where she continually wrapped it around her fingers, her eyes bright and a dazzling smile stretched across her face. She closed her eyes, and Dimitri's heart thudded as he knew what was coming. Letting his eyes drop, he pressed himself against her as she pressed her lips to his, her shoulders tensed under his caress as their mouths opened and their tongues touched. The spaces between them were demolished with their embrace , and Dimitri sighed against her lips as they continued to kiss. He pressed his lips to hers repeatedly, letting his fingers wrap around the tie in her hair, letting her beautiful locks fall across her shoulders as he immediately lost his hands in the beautiful mane.

He continuously pressed soft butterfly kisses to her mouth, loving the warmth that spread through his body as she breathed heavily against him. He didn't deserve a girl as beautiful and amazing as her, but he could do nothing but be thankful towards the mysterious person who made it all possible. The fabric of her t-shirt rode up as he wrapped his arm tightly around her, and her small yet suggestive hands clawed at his naked chest.

"You have no idea how sexy you look with just that leather jacket on," She purred, pressing her lips to his one more, before letting go of a long, heated breath, "I think you should just not wear t-shirts."

He chuckled, a feeling of such contentment spread through his body as she giggled against his chest, her fingertips touched his stomach softly, and Dimitri's body irrupted in shivers. "So … are we all good now?" He asked, breathing in her beautiful perfume as they leaned against the elevator door. People were probably waiting for it to come to them, but Dimitri had effectively locked the doors and had turned the elevator off.

"Better than good," She murmured, resting her cheek against his chest as she listened to the heart beats thudding through his chest, "Don't lie to me again, Dimitri. I deserve to know the truth."

"I know," He murmured, swallowing the guilt that swelled in his stomach, "I won't."

**XXX**

_**Dimitri…**_

Dimitri and Rose sat on the couch as they talked, he had his arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders, and she smiled as she lay, her body relaxed. Her hand stretched up to play with his hair when suddenly a series of vibrations erupted from the pocket of his jeans. He rightly ignored the constant buzzes as he embraced Rose, loving how small and delicate she felt in his strong arms.

"Are you going to answer that?" She asked in amusement, "Or are you just getting off at how good it feels?"

He chuckled and rolled his eyes, burrowing his hands into his pocket whilst he kept one arm around her. He saw the caller ID and immediately detached himself from the beautiful girl, trying his hardest not to acknowledge her suspicion and surprise.

"Belikov." Eddie greeted;, his voice commanding and oppressive as it slithered through the phone.

"What?" Dimitri growled, feeling Rose's gaze firm on him. He tried moving as far away as possible from her, in hopes that she wouldn't overhear the conversation. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"You're being called in, Belikov," Eddie growled, "Along with any other crummy asshole that belongs to Abe."

His eyes snapped to Rose, to see that she watched him carefully, her eyes narrowed as he wiped his forehead. He wanted to say so many things to Eddie, but he knew he had to watch his words, in case she understood what was going on. He kept his responses short concise and compressed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He had promised Rose that he wouldn't feed her anymore bullshit, and yet here he stood, completely shredding that promise into tatters . Dimitri couldn't tell Rose, for the sake of his family, he couldn't tell her.

"Is it urgent?" Dimitri asked, noticing how Rose sat up straight and her face scrunched.

"Does it matter?" Eddie asked, and Dimitri could hear a lot of commotion through the receiver. "My father calls you in, and you come. It's that simple."

Dimitri took one look at Rose, who gave him a comforting smile. Pain, guilt and remorse flooded through his body as he turned his back on her, continuing his conversation with her half-brother, who she thought she knew.

"Okay, I'm on my way," Dimitri said.

"I'd hurry if I were you, Belikov," Eddie warned, his voice thick in threat as he hung up.

Dimitri inhaled and exhaled deeply as he turned to face Rose, placing his phone back into his pocket. He took a step towards her, and she immediately stood to face him, her facial expression contorting into a worried grimace.

"Everything okay?" She asked, placing both of her hands on Dimitri's arms. The same chain reaction of shivers invaded his body at her touch.

"Ah, yeah …" He lied, swallowing the guilt that was wedged in his throat. "Just some family stuff."

"Oh," She said, backing away as she folded her arms, "I'm guessing you have to leave now?"

He nodded once, the happiness in him alleviated astoundingly as he walked forward to press his lips against her forehead. The truth threatened to spurt from his mouth, but he knew there was no denying it—he couldn't tell her, no matter how much he wanted to. Something like that would, with no doubt, crush her. She already hated her father, but to find that he had manipulated many people into working for him, to see what kind of man he really was and to see that he had brought Eddie down with him, would evidently devastate her, and the beautiful girl had been through enough already.

They kissed a few times before Dimitri backed away, lifting his leather jacket to throw over his shoulders which was clad in a grey t-shirt. He left the door slowly, the couple watching each other as he left, a mixture of emotions on both of their eyes. He felt guilty, she was worried—and there was nothing Dimitri could do about it.

Breathing harshly, his veins thudding with fear and adrenaline, he stormed down the stairs, into the lobby and to the resident's garage where his bike was parked next to a red car. Without further adieu, he hopped on his bike and lodged the key into the ignition, revving the bike and releasing the clutch as he soared from the garage and into the night scenery. He didn't bother with his helmet, so the wind blew in his hair, the innervated air around him buzzed in activity as he rode through the road, ignoring honking cars and pedestrians.

Finally, after driving for almost twenty minutes, he stopped outside the grand mansion that was the Mazur Manor. He jumped off his bike, his boots crunching the gravel as he walked towards the voice box. He went through the same procedure that he always did during these situations and within minutes he was standing outside the familiar large mahogany doors. His eyes took notice of how many cars were parked outside the large mansion, and parked his bike next to a particularly expensive silver one.

For some incomprehensible reason, Abe had gathered all his men.

Putting his hands deep into his pockets, he sauntered up the large cobbled steps, taking one hand to knock the door before ploughing it into his denim pockets. After a few silent moments, a snooty old man answered the door, and with one look at Dimitri he cleared his throat and lifted his nose as if he smelt the air around him.

"Are you … a friend of Ibrahim's?" The old man asked, his eyebrows arching.

"I'm one of his men." Dimitri said, taking a step inside once the elderly man gave him permission to cross the threshold.

"Very well," He replied, his voice boring and monotonic, "Follow me."

With a nod of the head, Dimitri put one boot in front of the other as he followed the posh old man. His eyes focused on everything around him as he assessed his surroundings, and within a few seconds, Dimitri was brought into a huge ballroom with fancy chandeliers and wallpaper, packed with at least sixty men. He turned around and nodded at the old butler before stepping fully inside, his eyes somewhat vacant as he inspected that crowd.

With further analysis, Dimitri observed that a lot of these men looked like they had just had the shit beaten clean out of them, some even have crooked nose with pools of blood at their feet. Dimitri's heart thudded in his chest as he watched Eric Dragomir and Ibrahim Mazur stand taller above the rest as they firmly positioned themselves on a large stage-like platform. From the sweat bouncing off the bosses' heads, Dimitri knew that some serious shit was going on. Flanking both sides of the two collaborators, were large, muscled men that looked as if one of their right-hooks could knock you off your feet and into next week.

Dimitri didn't want to find out if his statement was true.

"Not one of you…!" Abe spat, his eyes bright, his face red and his hair a mess as he paced the large platform, "…has admitted to this! The lambasting will continue until the culprit is identified, YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

Dimitri watched as many men shook their heads in fear, and he looked to the first man on his right to find out that it was Greg Dashkov, the close cousin of his friend Natalie. He took a step forward and whispered in his ear quietly.

"What's going on?"

Greg twisted his head slightly to look at Dimitri, pretending to watch as Abe went completely wild, and Eric watched in controlled anger. "Somebody ratted out the prostitutes," he murmured, his eyes dark as he continued to watch the bosses. "Police raided the house, and apparently somebody in this union tipped them off. Some more shipments have been faulty, some even stole—Mazur reckons it's one of us."

"What's he doing?" Dimitri choked, "You know … to find the one responsible?"

Greg coughed lightly as some men turned to look at them, but continued his explanation once he was positive that no one was listening to him. He lifted his hand and pointed subtly towards a door, which lead into a smaller room. "They've been taking guys into that room and have been beating the absolute crap out of them." Greg choked, and Dimitri could distinctly hear the tell-tale signs of fear laced through his words. "Mazur's going fucking crazy, dude. Two guys have already been shot because Abe thought they weren't telling the truth."

"You're serious?"

"Dead serious, man," Greg mumbled, "I feel fucking sorry for the motherfucker who did this. He's going to get it far worse than anyone here."

"If you admit to committing the crimes against this union …" Abe's shaky voice began as the anger infiltrated his body, causing him difficulty to speak clearly, "I can guarantee that your death won't be half as painful as I have planned. We. Will. Find. You. No matter what, so the culprit would be wise to stand forward and admit to his dirty lies."

Dimitri swallowed against the fear that pulsed through his veins. What if Abe suspected him? He would never do something so foolish as to betray the union, he knew how it went—you betray them and you get your fucking brains blown out. There wasn't much else to it, except this time, Abe looked more pissed than he had in a very long time. This was serious shit.

"Just know, that when we do find you, you'll regret not stepping forward," Eric warned his green eyes darkening as he assessed the fear stricken crowd. "We will know who the betrayer is, and he will be made an example of. This union does not let exhibition of disloyalty slide, and that should be remembered."

The red faced Abe tore off his jacket to reveal a white shirt covered in blood, his usually tidy, gelled hair was messy as it fell across his face and his body almost seemed to spasm as he contorted in anger. He ripped a piece of paper from one of the beefy guys hands, and read from the tattered sheet.

"Greg Dashkov, stand forward," Abe growled angrily, "You will be questioned."

Greg turned to look at Dimitri, fear thick in his eyes as Dimitri watched him. He couldn't help but pat the guys arm in sympathy as he strolled towards the door, quickly followed by Abe and Eric. When the door slammed loudly, silence rocked through the terrified room, and Dimitri could see that some of the beaten guys looked severely damaged and in great pain as tears rolled from their eyes. With a deep, shattering breath, he took a step forward, trying to see pass some heads to glimpse at the large brick that lay in the middle of the floor.

It was covered in blood and was the height and width of an average microwave. The white concrete was splattered with blood and feat pulsed through Dimitri when he realised what this was. He hoped and prayed that Abe didn't suspect him, because dying the way men had been killed with the brick, was not a nice way to go. At all. Everyone stayed quiet, and through the door, we could hear the muffled cries of Greg and the loud boisterous roars of Ibrahim Mazur. Dimitri frantically stormed towards the wall where he leaned against it, pressing his hand to his eyes as he breathed heavily, panic coursing through his every nerve and vein. Sweat gathered on his forehead, and through the ominous silence, the roar of two gun shots sounded through the quiet room, causing some men to jolt in fear.

After half a second the sound of Greg's terrified screams erupted from the door, and before Dimitri could breathe, the wooden door opened to reveal Greg, blood spurting from either leg as two beefy men carried him by the arm. A smirk lifted on Abe's face as he pulled his hair back, a gun pressed to the Dashkov's neck. "Should have known not to let a Dashkov through this union," Abe spat, almost ripping Greg's hair from his roots, "Filthy traitor."

The two men dropped Greg in front of the white brick, and Dimitri jolted forward, shoving passed a few people to see whether it was true or not. One look at the situation and at Greg's terrified eyes was enough for Dimitri to realize that he was the man responsible.

"This is the man who is to blame for our fragmented union," Abe spat, kicking Greg's bloody body as he bent down, lifting the Dashkov by the hair as he pressed the gun to his head, "As if one betrayer isn't enough!" Abe choked on a laugher, "He also admitted to working alongside another member of our union. The questions will continue."

Dimitri swallowed the sick that threatened to explode from his mouth as he watched what was about to happen. He didn't want to shy away and give Abe any excuse to believe it was him, if he had to watch a man die, then so be it.

"Open your mouth," Abe ordered, dragging Greg's head to the small white brick, "And bite the edge of this concrete block."

Greg cried silently as his shaking jaw opened, and clamped his teeth on the edge of the white block, his top set of teeth clamped to the top of the white brick, and the bottom clamped to the side. The man stretched his mouth opened as far as he could, his teeth biting hard on the bloody concrete block.

"Now this," Abe warned, his eyes bright in anger and excitement, "Is what happens … to betrayers."

Gasps erupted from men's mouths, people winced and shied away, covering there eyes at the scene that was about to take place before them, but Dimitri couldn't look away. Abe lifted his left foot, and with the power of a dozen trucks, he slammed his foot into the back of Greg's head, causing the sickening crunch of shattered bones to vibrate through the silent room. Greg's jaw had completely snapped in two, and the bone that had connected from his skull to spine shattered, the large, thick bone ripped through the back of his neck, causing blood to spurt in all directions, a few thick drops landing on Dimitri's face as he glanced at the dead man before him.

Abe kicked at the corpse, and once the dead face of Greg was exposed to all, it was now easy to see just how agonizing that death was. His jaw had completely snapped off, but due to the layers of skin, it stayed connected to the face, only amazingly lopsided, like the man's face was made of jelly. Blood covered every inch of his mouth and nose, which was crooked and obviously broken. His eyes were vacant, yet somehow full of fear and his neck looked bent and bloody.

It was the most terrifying thing anyone had ever seen.

"Put this scum with the rest of the bodies," Abe commanded, spitting on the corpse of Greg Dashkov as he wiped away that blood that had splattered across his face. Dimitri followed the action, wiping away the red liquid that soaked his forehead, mouth and cheeks. He obviously didn't spit on the body, the fear that rocked through him made it impossible to do more than breathe.

Two beefy guys grabbed Greg's distorted body, and Dimitri could easily see the sharp bone that pierced through the back of Greg's neck. He swallowed the bile that began to rise in his chest and looked at Abe, who was evidently, staring right back at him.

"Dimitri Belikov, stand forward," His commanding voice roared, "You will now be questioned."

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_As always, let me know what you thought :)_

_Another big thanks for Valdeh, my amazing beta :)_

_xoxooxoxoxoxo_


	14. Chapter 14

_**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The orginal content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**_

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_Hey bitches :) I know I promised two days until next update... and I have no excuse, I'm just sorry "/ I hope you can forgive me. Also, a girl left an anonymous review and she called the review 'Blah', I deleted it because the content, although said politely, seriously offended me. If 'Blah' gets to this point in the story and realizes it is you who I am talking about, could you please PM me? I would seriously LOVE to speak with you :D I'm not angry (although I was RAGING earlier, I just wanted to talk)_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I SERIOUSLY enjoyed writing it :P Don't forget to review baby!_

_Big thanks to my amazing **Valdeh**, who is my other half, the Belizean to my Irish, the person I mumble on and on to, the cookie to my crisp- BIG thank you ;]_

**Chapter songs-**

_**Time is running out- Muse_

_**Fully Alive- FlyLeaf_

_**She is the Sunlight- Trading yesterday (I seriously suggest you listen to this... you'll see what I mean in the last POV ;])_

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**Chapter fourteen- **She lives in a daylight, I don't belong

**"Love gives life meaning to live."~Joel Guo**

_**Dimitri…**_

The bright light glowed above his head as entry to the small blood covered room became accessible; his hands shook in his pockets as he stepped through the threshold. Splats of blood decorated the dark, twisted room and from the muted glow of the pathetic lamp, reflections bounced off the pool of almost black blood that surrounded a once white chair. The crooked, tinged red legs oozed a dark seductive liquid and drops of thick, matted blood dropped slowly and lazily into the eerie puddle on the floor.

Darkness slithered from the four corners of the room, almost scratching to dominate the small patch of light that shone dully above the bloody chair, but continued to lurk in the shadows where it belonged. The atmosphere weighed on Dimitri shoulders as he lifted one boot in front of the other, ignoring the wet drips that trickled through the air as his foot silently splashed the black, opaque liquid. The air stank of sweat and slaughter, he could almost feel the echoes of ghosts screams as they warned him and filling him with fear so severe, it almost knocked him off his feet.

His shoulder jerked as a large, beefy hand clamped itself onto his neck, forcibly guiding him to sit in a pool of blood that settled itself in the middle of the chair, where the carnage had taken place only moments before. A soft click sounded behind him as his arms were roughly tugged backwards, a pair of thick handcuffs engulfed and bolted his wrists, entrapping him, and slashing any possibility he had of protecting himself. Irruptive bouts of agonizing stings rippled through his stomach as he thrashed to be free, the hard metal nipped at his skin and the bullet wound in his gut threatened to tear as he battered his legs against the thick blood covered floor, adrenaline pumped through his body as he thrived to release himself.

"I didn't do it," He said, his voice surprisingly strong considering that he was strapped to the seat of death; the sockets of his eyes tugged as he frantically looked for the man who could kill him with a click of his fingers. "I'd have to be a fool to try and fuck around with you guys again."

The terrifying silence scratched through the dark, shadowed room before the creepy chuckle of Ibrahim Mazur slithered through the darkness. Footsteps tapped against the damp blood clad floor, the air around him suddenly weighed heavily on his shoulders, and he was certain the Turkish mobster now stood behind him.

"Sublets and leases were under heavy supervision, Belikov," Abe spat, "Forms and letters suddenly go missing, shipments become faulty and our house of fornication is raided by the police. Gregory admitted to informing the authorities, now I have at least four prostitutes in jail; and I'm now under threat of exposure. Those whores could very well rat me out to save their own tails, Belikov. So I would advise you to speak the truth so these matters can be settled—did you do it?"

"No, sir, I did not." Dimitri replied, bracing his shoulders as he awaited Abe's response.

The older man grunted before motioning towards a thick shadow that lurked in the corner, "Hit him."

The muscled man stepped forward and with electric speed, his arm bent back to his shoulder when he released his hold. The over-powering, jaw-shattering punch hit Dimitri square in the mouth, causing him to rock backwards on the chair, and blood to spurt from his lips. An agonized groan escaped his mouth as he gathered the bloody saliva that pooled around his tongue, spitting it onto the floor as he tried to wipe his bloody chin. He was almost positive that the hole in his stomach had torn.

"Why should I believe you?" Abe asked, stepping before Dimitri, stroking a gun that hung loosely in his fingers, "Unions from almost every state have been adamant in their acquirement of you, why shouldn't I believe that you have decided to join one of them?"

Dimitri sighed, and swallowed the blood that poured through his bleeding gums and mouth, he spat some out again before looking at his superior, "I've seen what you can do," Dimitri said, not letting his possible death frighten him, "I was there when you paralysed my father, and you almost killed me. Why would I even risk the possibility of you doing that again? I especially wouldn't risk it, knowing that my family's life is on the line."

The room swelled in silence, the only noise was the sick, twisted drops of blood that continued to fall from the chair in which he sat. His throbbing neck turned as he lifted his shoulders, hoping to wipe away the blood that poured freely from his lips. He was partly successful as little of the blood wiped across his leather jacket, but knew it was a moot point, more of the red liquid fell from his lips, and Abe wasn't over yet.

"Yes, you would have to be an idiotic fool to try that again," His boss grunted, bringing his body partly into the light. His dark, murderous pupils watched Dimitri, and his eyebrows weighed heavy on his eyes as he narrowed them upon the beaten man, "How is Rosemarie?"

Dimitri almost choked on his swollen tongue and the blood that filled his mouth – he seriously wanted to have a conversation _now_? For some unfathomable reason, he didn't feel secure in talking about Rose, and although the Turkish man before him was her father, he felt the surging urge to protect her.

"I moved in last night," Dimitri grunted, spitting out another mouthful of blood. He was quite honestly surprised that half his teeth hadn't fallen out, "She's good." He didn't want to give more detail than he saw fit, his eyes vacant in emotion as Abe glared at him, a snarl heavy on his lips. Dimitri knew that Abe loved his daughter – in a weird, sick, twisted way on his own, he really did love and care for her.

Abe grunted in approval and his grip on the silver hand gun tightened as he looked at Dimitri, "I'm going to ask one last time, Belikov," Abe growled, his fingers rubbing the roaring red knuckles on his right hand, "Are you the man who helped Gregory breach the union?"

Dimitri inhaled loudly, adrenaline pumping through every orifice of his body, "No, sir, I am not." He held his head high and looked in his boss's eyes firmly, refusing to back down and seem weak.

The darkness floated around Abe, creating ominous shadows to sweep across his bloody face. It sickened Dimitri to know that it wasn't even his own blood that smeared across his head as it seeped into his skin. No, it was the scarlet liquid that once pumped through his victims; the blood of the three men he had already massacred that night. A smirk tugged across his mouth as he watched Dimitri, his eyes as dark as the pitch black shadows that surrounded him.

"Again." Abe growled, and the beefy man stepped forward, his knuckles clenched. There was a strong urge for Dimitri to shut his eyes and just wait for the pain, but he kept a firm gaze on Abe, who watched him with a smirk. He didn't want the old man to detect or suspect anything; he didn't want to hand Abe the excuse to kill him. The muscled man stood before Dimitri, and as he lifted his large, thick hand before him, he could clearly see that small glint of metal that slithered across his fingers: He was wearing knuckle dusters.

Dimitri braced himself as the muscled man clenched his enormous fist by his cheek, and with a loud growl the punch was released as his arm swung forward with such speed, bashing the side of Dimitri's temple, the metal shredded his skin, causing the chair he sat in to tipple over and land in the thick, opaque blood. Dimitri bit down on his tongue as he willed himself to remain silent, ignoring the blood as agony sliced through his head, dominating his brain and causing his eyes to water. More blood filled Dimitri's mouth as his teeth cut his tongue and the bullet wound of his stomach tugged harshly as he tried to compose himself. Strands of his dark hair soaked with the blood that covered the floor and he willed himself not to throw up.

"This could go on all night, Belikov," Abe said, lifting his leg to deliver a hard kick to Dimitri's stomach, he sputtered and the blood exploded from his lips like a volcano. The pain that tore through his stomach confirmed his suspicions, and he knew that his wound had most definitely busted open. His life and blood poured through his shredded abdomen, but he swallowed consistently, willing himself to stay strong. "Why should I believe that you wouldn't betray the union, when your father did it before you?"

"Because I'm not my father," Dimitri growled, his head resting against the hard floor and the blood moistened his hair and cheek, "Unlike my father, when I promise something; I keep that promise—no matter what. I've been in fucking hospital for the past two weeks, how the hell would I have been able to breach through security and steal the sublets? I don't fucking care about your lousy prostitutes or busting the union—all I fucking care about is keeping my family safe."

"Let's say I decide to postulate your protests," Abe said, looking at Dimitri who still lay in a puddle of dead men's blood, "And I come to find that your claims are untruthful … What you will receive will surpass any pain that should be dealt to you now, do you understand?"

Abe's blood caked shoes were all Dimitri could see as the old man stepped forward and stood in front of his face, the darkness of his boss's clothes almost blended him into the shadows, but from the dull light, Dimitri could see tints of red that covered the man's body. He swallowed the apprehension that lodged in his throat before giving a firm answer. "Yes, sir. I understand."

"I don't believe you."

The silence filled the room again, and Dimitri refused to feel fear. What ever was going to happen, would inevitably happen and he knew that lying in a puddle of another's blood whilst begging for mercy, would do nothing except eradicate any self-pride and integrity that was left in his shallow soul. He swallowed against any pleas and looked up, bending his throbbing neck as much as possible to see Ibrahim, looking down on him. Dimitri didn't avert his gaze as Abe clicked his fingers, and the thick man who lurked in the gloomy shadows stepped forward, a deriding sneer cracked across his mouth.

Dimitri swallowed again and continued to look at both men who stood before him, _This_ _is_ _it_, Dimitri thought, _Everything's_ _going_ _to_ _end_ _now_. _Right_… _now_. He didn't contemplate his many regrets, or wish for an escape, nothing occupied his mind except a pair of beautiful brown irises and long locks of brunette hair. He closed his eyes, waiting for the pain as he anticipated the agonizing, black waves of death that would drag him further into the frightening depths of the cruel, dark abyss of oblivion. Many things should have been coursing through his conscious, yet he couldn't tear his mind from Rose and the feelings he felt for her that pumped painfully through his veins. Why, after everything, did he have to go now?

His stomach twisted painfully as a large hand clamped onto his shoulder, and Dimitri had finally accepted it. He was going to die. After fighting for so long, after protecting his family and keeping his deranged father safe, he was going to die. What could he do? He knew he should have fought, should have pleaded but there was no point. No point in anything anymore. He fought, he got shot. He pleaded; he looked pathetic and then got shot. The strong man lifted Dimitri's chair and set it straight before standing in front of him, a slick, silver gun pressed tightly in his hand. Dimitri knew he could have taken this guy in a fight, probably could have destroyed him too, but he was completely defenceless as his hands were cuffed by unyielding metal.

Dimitri kept his glare locked on the yielder of the gun, his eyes peaked through the long strands of hair that stuck to the sweaty skin of his face, his own blood oozed from his temple, and a dead man's blood caked the opposite side, causing more of his hair to stick to his skin. He kept his glare firm as the man loaded the gun, the click of the device rolled off the walls and Dimitri couldn't help but smirk at the situation. Only weeks ago, he had escaped the claws of death, and yet here he was, looking at the barrel of a gun awaiting the end. The irony was amusing.

He knew the man who stood before him; he was his colleague, and both of them were entrapped in the dominating hands of Ibrahim Mazur and Eric Dragomir. Dimitri had been forced to murder before, he had to choose between killing a crook and the innocent lives of his family, and he knew that he could not blame the man before him, for his death. Though he yielded the gun that would undoubtedly end his life, he couldn't place the blame upon his shoulders. This was Mazur's fault. This man, the one with the silver device in his hand was protecting someone he loved, and for that, Dimitri couldn't blame him.

His eyes landed on Abe, and he kept them there, tight and strong as his boss watched him carefully. A smirk lifted on his lips as he watched him, and suddenly just as the man with the gun pressed the cold silver to his head, Abe snapped a hand out to halt him. Dimitri glared at his boss.

"Release him, Grant," Abe commanded, "He isn't the culprit."

Grant dropped his arms and turned to look at his boss, "You're sure, sir?" Dimitri felt anger surge through him as he asked this, almost if Grant _wanted_ to kill him.

"If I wasn't one hundred percent sure, I wouldn't have ordered you to do it." Abe growled; his eyes firm on Dimitri.

Grant nodded once and placed the gun back in his belt before stepping towards Dimitri with a key in his hand. Anger began to slowly pump through Dimitri's veins; he knew he should have been ecstatic that he was free, that he didn't have to die… but he was outraged. His eyebrows burrowed, causing the large cut on his temple to tear and pain coursed through him. With a jolt, his hands were free and he immediately began rubbing his throbbing wrists before standing up. He knew he couldn't do anything to Abe … but his stomach curled in hatred and he felt like he needed to take it out somebody. Grant, who had questioned his boss on his death, stood there with a vacant expression on his face.

He spun around, and his muscled arm shot out before him as he grabbed Grant by the shirt and yanked the thick man towards him until their noses were in line of each other. Dimitri knew that this guy was only doing his job, but he couldn't help the anger that pulsed through him, electrifying everything that surrounded his core, every pore of his body sparked as his eyes locked onto Grant. The pain contracted in Dimitri's arm as he pushed the overwhelming pain away, lifting his hand to line with his face as he released a strong, jaw shattering punch to Grant's jaw. The man flew back and crashed into the wall, pain contorted across his scarred face as he lifted a hand to touch his bloody lip.

"What the fuck, dude?" He growled, rubbing his sore face.

Dimitri massaged his throbbing knuckles before his eyes narrowed, "Next time you'll think before you say 'you're sure, sir?'" He growled, finally turning to look at Abe who watched them both in amusement. Dimitri continued to rub his wrists and knuckles, and Grant continuously pressed a shaky hand to his mouth.

"Do I have your permission to leave?" Dimitri asked; ignoring the agonizing burns slicing across his temple as his sliced skin let out a smooth stream of blood.

Abe watched him carefully, the air around him buzzed with darkness and authority, and Dimitri found it a little hard to keep his gaze firm on the old man. He nodded his head once before replying, "Did you talk to Gregory often, Belikov?"

Dimitri grunted, remembering how Abe had completely crushed his jaw and neck with one kick to the skull, "Not particularly," He admitted, "We talked, but that's just as far as the friendship went, sir."

His boss nodded and pointed towards the door, "Dispose of the body."

Dimitri choked and stared at the old man, "What?" He swallowed the disgust clumping in this throat, "How?"

"I don't care," Abe announced, "Just do it. Take three men with you, and discard the other corpses whilst you're at it."

He stared at his boss for a few seconds, a chill so alarmingly cold travelled up his spine as he nodded his head, wiping drops of red liquid that fell into his vision. The blood that was left in his veins ran cold as he turned around and stormed out of the dark, morbid room. As he entered the bright expanse of the ballroom, he could see that men looked at him with fear and acceptance in their eyes. Dimitri met all of their glares as he stepped in the middle of the room, the silence weighed upon him heavily as he placed one boot in front of the other, until he was in everyone's sight. His eyes searched for Eric Dragomir, nodding his head in one curt gesture as he asked for permission to speak. His blonde haired boss glanced at him curiously, his eyes skewering his stomach, as blood poured across his t-shirt. His ice green glare snapped up immediately and locked on Dimitri, his face staying mutual as he nodded his head, proving Dimitri the opportunity to speak.

He moved his attention from the boss before stepping forward. Men parted to allow him through until he was standing next to Greg who lay distorted on the floor, his face so unrecognizable, it was frightening. Dimitri looked at the man as the corpses blood pooled around his feet; the startling scarlet red liquid reflected the bright chandelier's light as he gazed into the bright, thick puddle. He could see his face through the reflection, and he noticed how his face curled into a sneer as he refrained from going crazy, and possibly killing every motherfucker that stood around him.

He cleared his throat and walked closer to Greg, his own blood pouring down his face and body as he walked through the red, oozing liquid of another. All eyes were upon him as he glanced at the crowd, his mouth opening to release the orders that Abe had placed on him. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"For any of those who have been questioned already by Mr. Mazur," He began, a few men meeting his intimidating eyes; others cowered away. "It has been requested that you will join me as I dispose of the three men who passed tonight." His voice echoed around the fear-stricken room, the deep tones bounced off the walls as he glared at the men he worked with. If he had to speak, which he rarely did in their presence, his voice was demanding and full authority. Although the men present had muscles ten times stronger than Dimitri's, men that had done terrible things, they all cowered before him. Dimitri wasn't known to be a man who let people walk all over him; for all intents and purposes, he might as well have been Abe and Eric's second man. The respect bouncing off the men was clear and admirable. "I need three men."

Three severely beaten men stepped forward, and nodded at Dimitri. He returned the gesture before looking around for something to wrap Greg in. Finally, after receiving permission from the silent Eric, Dimitri grabbed a few huge blanket-like sheets which had been folded in a pantry in the next room. He took them, and handed one brown cloth to each man, taking one for himself as he stepped forward and wrapped the sheet around his dead colleague. His eyes lifted slightly to see the angry glare of Eric, causing a flood of emotions to swim through his body. He knew for a fact that the man had not forgiven him for the beating of his son, the defiled look he sent his way confirmed that. Swallowing back anger that lurched in his stomach, mouth and throat, Dimitri finished wrapping the bloody body of Greg, covering himself in blood during the process.

He looked at the men whom he was working with, lifting up the corpse as they followed him. Bloody footsteps followed them as they walked to the front door, driving to dispose the bodies of their friends.

**XXXX**

_**Rose**_…

_The smell of smoke and urine was thick in the dusty air as I stumbled down the narrow, eerie alleyway, the heel of my stilettos caused my ankles to bend as I drunkenly walked to a small bend in the alley, a bottle of Vodka held loosely in my hand as I stumbled, ignoring Jill's insistent giggles behind me. It was as though I was trapped in my own drunken bubble as the alcohol buzzed through me. _

"_You look ridiculous, Rosiieeeeee!" Jill giggled, downing back some whiskey as she fell into the wall, her face contorting in amusement. "I need to pee!"_

_I snorted and collapsed against the wall, dropping my trembling hand as I bent over, my knees wobbled as I placed my glass bottle on the floor and lifted my dress to ride against my hips. Pulling down my underwear, I bent my knees and pressed my back against the wall as I peed. _

"_Rose!" Jill squeaked; her high heels buckled under her as she walked down the dark alleyway, a drunken and bemused expression on her face, "What're you doing?"_

_I drunkenly chuckled as I finished, shaking a little before I pulled my underwear up and the hem of my dress down, my hands and body swaying as I did, "I needed to pee." I said with an almost innocent expression._

_Jill snorted and fell into the wall, taking another large gulp of her brown whiskey. Her dilated eyes widened considerably as she shoved a hand in between her legs as she squirmed, "I need to go too."_

"_Go then." I said, walking in a zig-zag as I pointlessly tried to get to the end of the alley. I staggered as I reached the end, yelping slowly as something sharp pointed into my waist. With shaking hands I reached into the pocket of my leather jacket until I pulled out a long, sharp knife. I giggled loudly as I swung it around the air, spinning around to show Jill who lay on the floor, with a huge smile on her face. "I almost stabbed myself, Jill!" I squealed in excitement. _

_She snorted as she lay in the middle of the alleyway, the cobbled ground no doubt covered in urine and shards of sharp glass, although Jill didn't mind as she tilted her drink to pour into her mouth. I slumped against the wall as I continued drinking, my head feeling lighter than air and my movements seemed clumsy as I lifted the vodka, pressing it to my quenched lips as I felt the burning liquid spread through my mouth and throat, not feeling the pain in the slightest due to my intoxication. I put the knife back in my pocket and continued to think of absolutely nothing at all. _

_Jill pushed herself to lean against the wall, burrowing her right hand into the cup of her bra before pulling out a small, transparent bag, filled half way with a dusty white substance. She smiled evilly, her eyes chatoyant as she crawled over, the skin on her knees tore as she finally made it to my wasted form._

"_Where you wanna do it?" She said before consuming yet another large amount of alcohol. _

_I groaned as I stood up, which took me a good five minutes. I looked around me, too high to notice where we were, and too drunk to care as I pointed towards a small closed corner shop which had a red ledge. "There." I choked, putting one wobbly, cut leg before the other as I stumbled towards the small store._

_Once we finally made it, after clumsily falling over each other along the way, we fell against the wall and immediately began arranging eight straight lines of cocaine along the red ledge. Once I was finished arranging my half, and Jill hers, I reached into my pocket feeling a slight nick as the cold silver knife caressed my skin, causing to me to gasp loudly as I pulled out my money, scourging to find a twenty dollar note. I finally found it and I immediately scrolled it into a tight roll and with an almost desperate velocity, I bent down and pressed a finger to my nostril as I snorted my straight four lines. As soon as I was finished, I slumped against the wall, breathing heavily as I rubbed my nose, extending a shaky hand to give my friend the roll. My high intensified as I stood straight, my vision before me almost crackled as I began walking, a sinister sneer curled my lips as I wobbled towards the road._

_Jill, breathing heavily as she finished, stumbled to me, her hand clamped on to mine as she pressed the bag filled with the remainder of the drugs, a chuckle escaped her lips, "Do you ever have a tickly nose after you finish snorting?"_

_I choked on a laugh as I plunged a hand into my leather jacket, pulling out a packet of cigarettes. I popped one in between my lips as Jill offered me her lighter, my hand moved to shelter the glowing flames as I lit my cigarette, inhaling deeply as I closed my eyes, the nicotine spread effectively through my body. I opened them again as a cloud of smoke escape my partly opened mouth, and as I took the cigarette between my fingers, I passed the small red lighter to the tall girl next to me._

"_How do we get back to the party?" She asked, lighting up her own cigarette._

_My shoulders lifted and dropped in a nonchalant shrug, almost ignoring my friend as my dilated eyes followed any movement that took place before us, and I within a few minutes, my eyes fell upon a man standing in the alleyway we had just departed from. I lifted my left arm, a half finished cigarette in between my finger and thumb as I pointed towards the man who was completely dressed in black, a long coat cloaked his skinny body. The bag of white power was still pressed tightly in my hand as I stepped forward, becoming closer to the man who watched us so closely._

"_Where're you going?" Jill asked; her clumsy footsteps followed behind me as I tried to saunter towards the man, my effects wasted on my shaking legs. _

"_To get you laid, baby," I choked, pressing the cigarette to my lips once more, inhaling the smog of nicotine before releasing the cloud of smoke. I flicked the end softly, ignoring the grey ash that fell with my touch, "He keeps staring at us, and you haven't had your ass fucked in a while."_

"_He's ancient!" _

"_Older guys have more experience." I dropped my cigarette, pressing my sexy heel on it before I jerked my ankle, crushing the bud into the floor as the flames died. The man hadn't moved, and inhaled his own smoke as he watched us come closer, "Hey handsome," I purred, "My friend here want's a piece of what you're offering."_

_The man laughed through a fog of smoke, flicking the ash clad bud as he glared at me, his eyes dark as an unattractive sneer spread across his face. "What're you looking?"_

_I looked at him and chuckled, the laugh vibrating through my drunken mind as I opened my mouth to speak. "What are you?" I snickered, taking a gulp of my drink. The sound of cars roared from behind me, and the bright lights flashed against the wall. From where we stood, the man, Jill and I were completely invisible to the New Yorkers. "Some forty year old fucking virgin? She wants your dick, old man."_

_The man chuckled and rubbed his jaw, "That wasn't the answer I was expecting," His voice was rugged and harsh, "Though it's hardly an offer I can refuse." His eyes snapped to Jill as he watched, a creepy smirk lifting on his lips. _

_I watched his long coat flap in the wind and his low baseball cap, and I especially noticed, even through my drunken buzz, that he held onto his jacket tightly as he watched us. I meet his eyes for the first time that night, and his widened immediately, his gaze snapping to the white bag in my hand. _

"_You're that little slut!" He growled taking a step forward, a scowl on his lips, "The one that skipped out on the payments."_

_I took a step forward, my heel smacked across a stone as I wobbled, failing to seem strong, "Payments for what?"_

"_Marijuana, pot, weed, dope," He growled angrily, "What ever the fuck you want to call it, you didn't pay for it."_

"_I didn't buy anything off you," I growled, throwing away my empty bottle, ignoring the loud smashing noise it made as it collided with a wall._

"_Exactly, you haven't fucking paid yet," He growled, taking a step closer to Jill, causing me to stand before her quivering body as I protected her. I stepped forward, watching as he immediately stopped and glared at me, "Pay up." _

"_I'm not paying for something I didn't take."_

"_Rose, just give him the money." Jill's terrified voice whimpered, causing my face to flush in embarrassment. I felt her fear radiate behind me, but I wouldn't let anything happen to her, as far as I was concerned, she was safe with me._

"_I don't have fucking money to give him!" I growled._

"_Listen, sweetness," He growled, and large beefy hand shot out to clamp itself around my wrist, causing me to bite down on my tongue in surprise, "I need the money. Now. Or you can say goodbye to your little fucking friend here, 'cause I'll hack you into pieces."_

_I wasn't sure what made me do it, or what gave me the idea and I wasn't exactly sure what was happening through my fumbled mind, but before I knew it my right hand lifted, clenching shut as it moved next to my chin. My arm convulsed as my hips twisted slightly my arm expanding until I released the punch, the impacting force of my fist connected with the mans face causing him to immediately release my wrist as he staggered back. Even through my thick intoxication, I could feel the sting of pain spread through my knuckles and wrist._

_The man stood straight as he wiped a wrist against his mouth, a nasty snort escaped his lips as he looked at the blood that dripped onto his hand. Without any warning, the man dove into the air and crashed into my feeble body, smashing me into the ground as his heavy body pinned me. I could hear the sound of my leather jacket tear as it scraped across the ground. Jill's scream rippled through the air as she clawed at the man who had lifted his hand to smack me violently across the face causing my mouth to immediately pool with the taste of something salty and metallic. Blood. _

_Jill continued to beat at the man, causing him to release my hands, which were pinned to the wide of my head, pressed firmly to the glass clad ground. He spun around and punched my friend harshly, the sound of colliding bone exploded through the empty space and a muted thud thumped softly as her tall body collided with the floor. As the drug dealer was distracted, my strong hand clenched into a fist again as I battered against his thin body, the iron hardness of my knuckles colliding with his face, causing blood to spurt out over my eyes and head. His torso twisted as he fell off my collapsed body, as he collided with the dirty ground, I bounced up, stumbling a little as I wobbled over to Jill. She assured me she was okay as she stood up again and a piercing scream irrupted from her lips as she looked behind me; from the sound of oncoming footsteps and feral growl, I knew that the Dealer had stood up again._

_My hand ravaged my pockets as my fingers clamped tightly around the sharp knife; the fine edge sliced the opening of my pocket as I exposed the glinting silver. I lifted my leg and kicked him effectively in the thigh as he came closer, causing him to stagger a little but his long, strong arm continued to tunnel forward, missing my face by millimetres as it skimmed my shoulder. My hands clenched the knife tightly as he protruded onto me and I didn't hesitate to think before I acted. I scrunched my face, closing my eyes as I drove the knife deeply into his stomach, my hand jerked as I wedged it through his clothing and soon enough the heat of his blood soaked my fingers. With a strong yank, I pulled the bloody knife from his gut and pushed him forward._

_He stumbled backwards, his eyes wide as his fingers sprawled across his gashed stomach, the blood stretched across the span of his visible abdomen. The scarlet liquid painted his fingers, and his mouth opened as if he were going to say something, but with the opening of his lips, a large pool of thick blood poured freely from his mouth and he dropped weakly to his knees before collapsing loudly on the floor, his face bashing against the glass covered ground. _

_A loud clang vibrated through the air, and it registered moments later that I had dropped the bloody knife. My hands were soaked in red and as I turned to look at Jill, only to see that she had already runaway. I collapsed to the floor and crawled towards the man, panic coursing through me as I resisted the urge to throw up. I don't know how long I lay there crying, but within a few hours the red and blue sirens blinded me, and the ever frightening words of the authoritative police woman rippled through my mind:_

"_I am arresting you for attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."_

"ROSE!"

My spine contracted as I bolted up right in bed, my arms wrapping tightly around a muscled form before me, as gentle hands caressed my back. My body was covered in a thin residue of sweat and I felt like I was going to suffocate, the dream I had rippled through my mind and it became difficult to breathe or see straight as I felt the four walls of my bedroom closing in on me. I didn't remotely care who had their arms around me and I didn't care that the threatening remembrance of that night was causing me to hyperventilate; my mind was consumed of images from my memory- Jill, Robert Doru, a knife, blood … Oh God, the blood. So much blood. The rest blurred before my eyes as I burst into a paroxysm of tears , the loud sobs clawed at my chest and the pain lit my body on fire as I scratched my face in desperation, almost willing to rip away the tears that leaked from my eyes. I felt like I was being suffocated in fear, terror and pain as my heartbeat thumped erratically against the cage protecting my heart.

"Roza, you're fine. I've got you," A beautiful voice soothed, "It was only a nightmare."

If only he knew what thoughts pumped through my mind. If only he understood that it wasn't a nightmare, that it was reality hitting me across the face with a violent vengeance. I clawed onto Dimitri, the tears escaping my eyes violently as he wrapped his strong arms tightly around me, placing his chin against my head as I fitted into his embrace. I felt his lips press against my head and he let me cry- He didn't talk, he didn't try to make me feel better, he just stayed silent and held me. He let my heart bleed emotion as I cried, my desperate fingers clutching onto every inch of his body that I could, willing to feel his skin against mine. I let my head rest in the nook between his neck and shoulders feeling the cold crystals of his rosary beads roll against my sweat covered forehead, the taste of salt filled my mouth as the tears trickled on my lips. The drops of water that leaked from my eyes, dripped from my soaking chin before they fell onto his shirt, and he rocked me softly, continuing to keep the blessed silence that radiated between us. My ribcage convulsed painfully as another bout of explosive tears seeped from my eyes, loud sobs burst through my mouth causing my salty tears to trickle over my dry tongue.

Within time, my loud boisterous sobs became silent little hiccups as I held tightly onto the man who had his arms wrapped protectively around my shaking body. I slowly began to reclaim my tranquil breathing pattern, though achingly sore sobs would rear head as I hopelessly tried to regain any composure I had lost. With a deep inhale, my nostrils filled with the unmistakeably scent of blood and sweat causing me to take another deep breath as I backed out of his strong arms and looked at him. All I could see was Dimitri's dark, muscled silhouette and I could almost see him gazing back at me. I watched him for a while longer before, inhaling deeply as I leaned back, reaching across the span of the bed to turn on the small lamp. A small fraction of the room was illuminated with the dull bulb of light, giving me access to see clearly; I rubbed my aching eyes, ridding my face of any tears that lurked there. My shaky pale hand lifted to sweep back the strands of almost-black hair that curtained my sight; my hand skimmed the sweat that caked my forehead before I fully looked at the man before me.

"What happened to you?" A whisper of a choke rippled from my throat as I crawled across the bed, the blankets attacked my feet trapping them in the fabric with the frantic movement of my ankles.

His gentle hands cupped my waist as I sat on his knee, and he watched me as I assessed his gruesome injuries. On the side of his head, right next to his eyebrow slicing across his temple; was a deep, bloody gash that was covered in a sticky, wet scarlet liquid. My finger lifted to softly caress the skin under his gaping wound, my hand immediately soaking with the wetness of his blood. I was acutely aware that his dark eyes followed my every moment and his breathing was heavy as my fingers brushed across his face, my other hand grazing his hair which was clumped with a weird gunk, almost like a mixture of blood and mud. His white t-shirt was completely soaked with redness, causing my fingers to travel down the expanse of his chest to search for any serious, critical injuries. Once my hand stopped right above his bellybutton, his beautiful, bloody face contorted in pain and a weird concoction of a noise, which seemed like a combination of a growl and a wince, escaped through his clenched teeth as he tilted his head backwards. I immediately sat my self up, standing on my knees as I took his face in my hands, fully aware that his hand rested on the crook of my hip.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered, watching him softly with my aching eyes as I searched his face for anymore cuts, "Jesus Christ Dimitri, what happened?"

He groaned once more, his eyes narrowed as he bit back pain, "My bike," He murmured, his pupils immediately diverted from mine, "the breaks fucked up. I fell off it, but I'm okay … no need to worry."

"No need to worry?" I choked, "Dimitri, you're covered in blood and I think that you've busted open your shot wound. I'm pretty sure that this doesn't classify as 'okay'."

"My definition of 'okay' must contrast brilliantly to yours then," He muttered, scooting my body closer to his, "Because I feel _fantastic_…"

A phantom of his usual smile twitched on his bloody lips as he watched me, his eyes thick with some abysmal emotion, "Well, you don't look fantastic." I said, worry thick in my words.

He snorted, releasing a sigh as he wrapped his arms tighter around me. I could feel his fingers through the thin fabric of my vest, causing goose-bumps to rise on my skin. "Way to blow a beaten man's self esteem, Roza," He chuckled, bending forward as his nose tipped mine, he seemed to be acting like the same old Dimitri, but I wasn't completely convinced. "I thought you knew better than to kick a low man down."

"Oh believe me, I think your enormously large self-esteem will recover," I sniggered, a small smile lifting on my lips, "That was a mere freckle upon the huge face of your ego, my friend."

His laugh was infectious as he chuckled against me, a beautiful smile cracked across his face. It wasn't his infamous panty-dropping, crooked smirk he used to entice many girls – it was an honest to God full-blown beautiful smile that showed his gorgeous, straight, white teeth and caused a pair of cute, slight dimples to appear on his cheeks. The skin beside his bright eyes creased with the stunning smile and I hated to sound cliché, but it ripped the air from my lungs and left me breathless. This was the first time that Dimitri had demolished the walls that he fabricated around himself; this was the first time that I had truly seen him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked once his beautiful laugh had died down, his eyebrow arched slightly as his arms rested on the curve of my waist, joining his hands behind my back.

"What? I'm not allowed to look at you?" I asked, feeling heat spread across my face with the oncoming of a blush, warmth spread through my body as I felt his finger caress the denting skin above the elastic of my pyjama shorts. Although my body roared in heat, every minuscule hair lifted as a shiver rippled through my body, electric currents ran up my spine as his finger grazed my bare skin, "I thought you liked girls looking at you?"

"I'm not saying the way you're looking is necessarily a bad thing," He said, his bright eyes watching me, "It's just … different."

I chuckled, "Oh really? Well, Casanova, tell me about the looks that you're used to getting from the ludicrously slutty members of my gender."

He chortled before lifting his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. I knew I should have been disgusted with the blood that covered him, and I probably should have rushed to call an ambulance or at least offer a first aid kit, but he seemed fine as he held me, the space between us was practically non-existent. "Well, the expressions I'm used to receiving from the 'ludicrously slutty members' of your gender, revolve around looks of … lust and want." He gave another shrug as though it didn't faze him.

"Yeah, I'm sure you love that." I mumbled, and it didn't occur to me how much that annoyed me, until it left my lips.

Dimitri glanced at me curiously, his mouth dropping every so slightly as his eyebrow arched again, "To be honest … I barely notice anymore."

I could feel his words weigh on my shoulders heavily as we looked at each other, his pupils frantically searched mine as his hands caressed the span of my back. The erratic beating of my heart harshly thumped against my chest as breathy pants slipped through my barely opened mouth. I lifted a hand, placing it on his cheek… and my fingers touched the blood oozing from his temple.

"Seriously, Dimitri," I chuckled, wiping the bloody hand on my already stained clothes. I didn't know how I was going to get this blood out. "I strongly recommend that you take a shower before those cuts get infected—I can guarantee that those looks of 'lust' and 'want' will turn into looks of disgust and revulsion if you have green ick oozing from your temple."

"Please Rose, don't be ridiculous," He chuckled, releasing his hold on me as he stood up. I immediately missed his touch, as I wrapped my own arms firmly around my wanting body, watching carefully as Dimitri's smile lifted, "Even with green ick sprouting from my face, you wouldn't be able to resist me."

I snorted in amusement before standing up, grabbing him by the shoulders as I turned him around until all I could see was his back. My hands spread across his amazing shoulder blade before I put one strong foot in front of the other, pushing him outside my bedroom and into the direction of the bathroom. "I'm ashamed to say that you're statement is unfortunately true, even with 'green ick sprouting' from your face I'd still be incredibly attracted to you."

As I pushed him, he looked backwards and I could easily see that his beautiful smile stretched across his face. He suddenly dug his heels into the ground as he stopped in the middle of empty living room, causing me to crash into his muscled back. He spun around with an eerie speed, his hands grazing the skin of my bare arm as he looked at me with gentle, soft eyes.

"God, you're amazing," He said with a nervous laugh, lifting a hand as his thumb brushed a stray eyelash that lay on my cheek. He held it in between his thumb and finger, as he watched me carefully, "Blow it away and make a wish…"

I looked at the long, black eyelash that was trapped in between his fingers, inhaling softly I pouted my lips a little, my gentle blow caused the small lash to dance out of Dimitri's grasp. I wished for the possibility that my life could stay this perfect, that nothing had to change and that I could live in this ecstasy until I grew to a ripe old age. I knew that it was unrealistic, and nothing could ever come true based on the blowing of an eyelash, but I didn't let that get to me. I was, as of this moment, living in euphoria.

"What did you wish for?" He asked, brushing back a strand of hair that flew across my face.

"If I told you, it wouldn't come true…" A small smile lifted on my lips as I pushed him away from me softly, "Stop being so nosy and just get a shower already."

"Yes ma'am." He whispered, bending down to press a soft kiss to my nose before walking in the direction of the bathroom. He turned around and began walking backwards, a smile playing on his lips as he watched me, and I don't know whether I was dreaming it or not, but it was although he was extremely nervous. My heart lurched in my chest as he closed the bathroom door and I collapsed into the frame of my bedroom door.

**XXXX**

_**Rose…**_

Dimitri's hands ran up and down my leg as I tried, emphasize on tried, to watch TV. Although I had already suspected, living with Dimitri Belikov was extremely distracting—ten minutes out of the bathroom and he had already 'attacked' me in every room of the apartment … albeit, I enjoyed every second of it, but the fact remained standing: he was incredibly distracting. The clear images on the screen became distant blurs as I concentrated fully on the lips that trailed softly across the span of my neck and shoulder, loving how a pair of gentle, yet somehow, dominating hands roamed and massaged my bare legs.

Dimitri 's muscled waist fitted neatly between my legs as he left kisses along my collar bone, his tongue caressed my goose-bumped skin every so often, creating tingles to travel through my hyperaware body. One of his muscled arms framed my head, giving him balance as his other hand ran along the expanse of my legs, lifting one up to curl around his waist. With my leg, I pressed my calf hard on his ass pushing him harder against me; a breathy moan escaped his lips as he pushed himself a little forward, pressing his lips to mine. My hands, which had been on his chest, snaked up to hook around his neck, giving me the opportunity to immediately lose my fingers in his almost dry hair. We continued to kiss for a long time, until he lifted his head, an impish grin spreading across his face.

"When are Tasha and Christian coming home?" He muttered; bending down slightly as his nose skimmed the skin next to my ear. I arched my back a little at his touch, and an urge pumped through me, and it told me to stop lying down and to wrap myself around the gorgeous man on top of me. Naturally, I listened to my gut. I pressed my hands against his chest and pushed him hard, watching with narrowed eyes as he collapsed backwards as he lay on couch, his mouth parting slightly as his gazed locked onto mine. I immediately took advantage as I crawled the expanse of his body, finally making it to his waist which I instantly straddled.

My hands pressed against his chest, and my hair fell across either side of my face as I looked down at the man underneath me. That same beautiful smile lifted on his lips as he watched me. He sat up, but I remained on his knees, bringing our bodies closer together. "Christian is staying at Lissa's," I mumbled, bending my head to press a kiss at the crook of his chiselled jaw, feeling his slight stubble scrape across my lips, "And I don't know when Tasha's coming home, she's at her girlfriend's house."

"Sonya?" Dimitri chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist as I continued to leave kisses along his jaw and neck. I immediately stopped as he said his sister's name.

I backed away the slightest bit, but Dimitri leaned forward to eradicate the distance, pressing his lips to the corner of my mouth, leaving a trail of sweet kisses until he reached the beginning of my shoulder, "You know about them?" I choked, titling my head back as he continued to press his lips on every inch of skin that covered my shoulders and neck.

"Of course I do," He mumbled between kisses, "I'm not particularly thrilled—" Kiss. "But she deserves to be happy—" Kiss. "And who am I to judge?"

"How did you find out?"

He rested his head on my shoulder as he chuckled, his head lifting to expose his bright eyes, "To be honest Rose," He began, causing an excited scream to erupt from my lips as he placed his hands under my knees, and flipped me off him as I flew off his hot body, crashing into the cushions that covered the couch. It took Dimitri nought point four seconds to burrow himself in between my legs as he continued his sensual, amazing kissing, "I'm pretty sure this isn't a good time to talk about my sister's relationship."

I found it a little funny that Dimitri had brushed it off, if it had of been a guy friend, like Christian, who was dating Sonya; I knew that Dimitri would have kicked his ass and dick into the dirt. Dimitri obviously didn't see the threat in Tasha, which I thought was ludicrously stupid thing to assume, but I ignored my nagging mind. I tried to hold my animalistic impulses, holding back a few of my actions as I kissed him. I knew for a fact that he was still in pain, even though he refused to show it, I refused to go too hard in the case I seriously hurt him or caused his cuts to reopen.

I lifted my head a little, snaking my arms around his neck as I crashed my mouth to his, our lips moulding together perfectly as we kissed passionately, his hands clamped to my hair and waist, mine to the broad expanse of his sexy shoulders. It continued, the sensual kissing as our limbs entwined, the tempo increased as the kiss became more wanting, the longing thudded between us and we attacked each other's mouths like if we separated by one inch, the other might disappear.

My mood completely deflated with an annoying jingle of an even more annoying commercial blared from the TV. I wouldn't have let it get to me, but Jesus, it was so God damned annoying! I unwound my arms from Dimitri and slumped into the pillows, causing Dimitri to watch me curiously, an eyebrow arch. His hands moved to either side of my arms as he held him self over me.

"Is there a problem?" He asked, that same curious, yet somehow nervous, expression stitched to his face.

"It's … it's nothing," I said feeling stupid as the commercial continued to play, "It's just that God damned jingle! I'd like to teach who the fuck wrote this, a thing or two about guitars."

He chuckled and sat himself up, and suddenly I felt like I was out in the open, like I was all alone and it was not a _good_ feeling. I sat up straight myself, watching him as a smile cracked across his face.

"Seriously? You're getting annoyed over some stupid commercial tune?"

"You don't understand, Dimitri," I said, finally the commercial stopped, "It's fucking offensive! You don't play the guitar, you wouldn't understand."

He inhaled deeply before standing up, turning his back to me and I had to rethink what I had said, hoping I hadn't offended him in anyway. He strolled into the small room he was sharing with Christian, the sound of moving bags and fabrics slithered through the open door and within a few moments Dimitri stroll back out. He leaned against the door, his head slightly tilted as he watched me, one hand pressed the frame of the door, the other wrapped firmly around a gorgeous brown acoustic guitar.

"You play … the guitar?" I mumbled, a smirk lifting on my lips as he watched me carefully. He lifted the guitar strap and placed it over his neck, the thick leather band nestled comfortably on his defined shoulder. "Huh, I never knew that."

He put one foot in front of the other as he slowly walked closer towards me, his eyes hooded as a crooked smile lifted from his lips. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Roza." He mumbled, setting himself down next to me. I scooted closer until I was almost practically on his knee, loving the heat that radiated from his body.

"Well… why don't you tell me these 'things' through a song?" I said; my hand rested on the sleek paint of the beautiful guitar, my eyes wide as I almost begged him to play. At that moment and time, I hadn't felt so close to anybody in my life, the realization was terrifying and shocking, but it filled me with warmth and heat so amazingly pure, that it was hard not to fully accept and embrace.

"'Through a song'?" He chuckled, his eyes lifted to join with mind, our gazes bolted together and his smile entranced me as he lifted a hand and brushed back a strand of loose hair, "You've been watching Disney movies again, haven't you?"

I groaned and smiled as he tuned his guitar, watching as he touched it gently with such care, "Shut up pretty boy," I joked, a smile lifting from my face. I really wanted to hear him sing and play, I knew that he would be amazingly good—He was good at everything. My voice dropped and serious tones laced through my words, "And just sing… what you're feeling…"

His eyes immediately diverted from mine, and his smile dropped as he gazed at his guitar, almost as if he were afraid to look at me, "Do I look like a pussy?" He tried to joke, but I heard the choke that he swallowed, his eyes were thoughtful as he glanced up to look at me, emotion thick in his eyes, "I don't know any love songs, Hathaway…"

My spine straightened and I my heart stopped. A felt a roaring surge of heat flash across my body, lighting every speck with fire as his dark eyes gazed deeply at me. I couldn't form the words that played on my tongue… did he just tell me that…? No… he couldn't have. This was Dimitri Belikov, the ultimate Casanova. He didn't lov—no he didn't say anything. I'm deluding myself. He didn't say anything.

I cleared my throat and rubbed the back of neck, "Well then…" I coughed, "Just think of the first song that comes to your head."

His relief was amazingly obvious as he smiled, a small fraction of the tense atmosphere lifted off our heads as I exhaled quietly. He obviously thought he had caused something, _something_ I was _not_ ready to acknowledge. Did he subtly tell me… that he _loved_ me? He couldn't have! I needed time and space to fully contemplate the situation—what if he had said it? What would happen? And if he hadn't said it… was I deluding myself? Was I just bat-shit crazy?

"Go pick a CD over there and see if you know any songs…" I murmured, lifting a hand to point towards the cabinet. He nodded awkwardly once before standing up, as he walked towards the CD cupboard. His hands grabbed a handful and flicked through him, his eyes widening as he handed me a cover a smile on his face.

"This one…" He murmured, causing a smile to life at the choice of his song, "I want to sing this one… to you…"

I smiled sadly as he sat on the floor, dragging me with him until I sat in between his legs facing his beautiful guitar. His eyes closed slightly as his beautiful fingers tugged at the cords, the wonderful, hypnotic music filled the apartment. I could see in his face that this message he was about to sing to me, what he was playing for me, came from the pit and depth of his heart. From his expression, I knew he meant every word…

_If all the flowers, faded away_

_And if all the storm clouds, decided to stay_

_Then you would find me_

_Each hour the same_

His beautiful voice combined with the lyrics and tune filled my heart, and I felt my eyes fill with tears. Watching him pour his heart out was devastatingly beautiful.

_If right is leaving, I'd rather be wrong,_

_She is the sunlight, the sun is gone,_

_And if loving her is heartache for me, _

_And if holding her means that I have to bleed,_

_Then I am the martyr and love is to blame_

_She is the healing, and I am the pain,_

_She lives in a day dream, where I don't belong,_

_She is the sunlight, the sun is gone…_

His eyes lifted and he looked at me, his brown irises and bright dilated pupils told me all I needed to know, his fingers continued to strum at the cords as he watched me, my eyes filling with tears. His own eyes look glassy as the thick emotion caressed his every feature, mainly his lips which contorted into a pain-stricken grimace and his eyes will pooled with unshed water. My heart thumped erratically as I pressed a hand to his face, loving how he immediately twisted his head to kiss my wrist, pressing his lips to my veins which pumped my blood, the very blood that lead straight to my beating heart. I exhaled softly, feeling my emotions bleed through the glance that I freely threw him as he continued to sing to me.

_I said if right is leaving, I'd rather be wrong_

_She is the sunlight, the sun is gone_

_She is the sunlight, the sun is gone…_

His voice had dropped to a whisper as he continued to play, the cords that played sensually and beautifully were muted by the lyrics that left Dimitri's mouth, words that were laced with such emotion it rendered me unable to breathe. I pressed in closer to Dimitri, a tear finally falling from my eye as it landed on his hand and I watched it trickled onto the guitar as Dimitri continued to play my song. His fingers expertly strummed across the cords as he watched me, his beautiful white teeth clamped down hard on his lip as he bit back the emotion, although it was undeniably visible in his beautiful eyes.

He continued to play the breathtakingly beautiful music for a while longer before he exhaled a shaky breath, taking the leather strap away from his shoulder as he set the guitar down next to his body. With every crease on his face, every imperfection that made him perfect to me, every beautiful feature kindled with an emotional glow, his eyes wide as he watched me watch him. I slowly lifted my hand and pressed it to his face, neither of us looking away from the other as I placed a butterfly kiss to the side of his lips, a warm feeling spread through my core.

"Thank you…" I whispered against his lips, another tear drop fell from my eye and landed on his cheek as his soft hands lifted to hold me against him. Emotion filled my body again—it was warm and wonderful, feelings that made my heart ache in an amazingly good way. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and our lips met. The kiss was gentle, full of care and it was sweet, blissful with no despair or pain. When I looked into his eyes, I could see that he cared for me more than anyone else in the world, that I was his rescue, his saviour; the same way that he was mine. I had accepted what Dimitri was, and as I kissed him, wrapped tightly in his arms, I knew there was no going back. Inevitable thoughts pulsed through my mind; I had always suspected that Dimitri Belikov would play a huge role in my life, it was impossible deny it as our limbs entwined, making it hard to distinguish where my body ended and his began - I knew at that very moment, that I wanted things to be like this forever. In his arms, for as long as I lived. Forever.

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_Is it wrong that I really loved the end of this? Am I said for doing that? LOL_

_Anyway, tell me your thoughts as always, you amazing people :P _

_I know when you see this on stories most people go 'Nah', I know I certainly do, but there is this GREAT story that I really enjoy and I honestly believe it hasn't been getting enough reviews, so please check it out! It's called 'Perfect Actress' and the wonderful author is RozaDimka- check it out! (After you review, of course :P)_

_Also, I might not be able to update for about... a week? My STUPID shitty laptop shut down and I don't know what happened, but all my files were deleted (thankfully Valdeh had chapter 14!) so I had to rewrite chapter 15 AGAIN! Bear with me, sexys, I'll have it ready soon... check out 'Perfect Actress' whilst your waiting..._

_REVIEW BITCHES! (I'm only after watching the hangover "/) we had a sick night bitches...peheehe. Review. :P_

_xoxox_

_Lyrics of 'She is the Sunlight' belong to Trading Yesterday and it's respectful owners._


	15. Chapter 15

**The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

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_Heya :) Here's chapter 15, out sooner than expected (I said a week, it's been like five days :P) Replying to that girl 'Sarah' 's review.. 'Haha, thank you so much :) It's not that I need someone to tell these people how rude they are, it's just sometimes I can't! But it's nice that you left that and I LOVED your 'rant' :P You're amazing, and your review made me smile, so again, thank you very much for your support and it's great to know you have my back :P loveya!' xoxo _

_Okay, all you of, pleaseeee read and revieww :D _

_Thank you for Valerie, my amazing beta. She is amazing, and honestly the most amazing friend/beta anyone could ask for :D_

**Chapter songs-**

_Dirty little secret- All American Rejects_

_She will be loved- Maroon 5 (listen ;])_

_Teenage Dream- Katy Perry_

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**Chapter fifteen- **Alleyway Confessions

**"There is one happiness in life- to love and be loved."~George Sand**

_**Rose…**_

A soft and gentle breeze caressed my bare arms and legs as the delicate gusts filled the large room through the partly open window. Though it had nothing to do with the drop in temperature, a slight shiver ran up my spine—Dimitri lay beside me, his soft fingers grazed my bare, goose-bumped skin as he watched me closely. The room was quiet as we stared at each other, the electricity that sparked between us dominated my attention as the tip of his fingers continued to brush against the expanse of my bare arms.

I knew I should have been absolutely exhausted, considering the amount of sleep I had been deprived my body of, but I didn't want to close my eyes no matter how heavy my lids became. Reality seemed better than dreams lately, especially since my dreams were no longer pleasant, and were gorged with gruesome memories of that night, reminding me of the blood that was on my hands. Dimitri and I hadn't shut our eyes for longer than it took us to blink, both us staying wide awake as we talked throughout the night, conversing quite a range of diverging topics – my life in New York, Andre, Sonya and Tasha as a couple, and many other things that were highly relevant in our lives. Although we spoke about a variegated amount of subjects, one always stayed constantly on my mind, which hung in the air that surrounded us yet remained to be unspoken, the subject of us.

There was always that constant buzz in my head that repeatedly droned and hummed in my ear, like the sound of the speeding wings from the body of a large dragonfly. And like the metaphoric insect, these words were incredibly annoying and I only wished I had a fly swatter to rid them from my already cluttered mind—_Ask_ _him_, that stupid insect conscious of mine would say, _What's_ _to lose? Ask him where this is going!_

I snorted at the prospect. I didn't need to know Dimitri, to understand that if we started putting labels on things, he would become seriously freaked out, and would most definitely hurl himself from the open window. I didn't need to destroy what we had for the sake of a label when I was perfectly complacent with what we had now. I didn't need to know where this was going, because when I was with him, I was completely and utterly trapped in the moment—the future didn't matter, only the present did.

I curled closer towards his body, lifting my hands to run through his brown, silky hair, before I began to mindlessly braid the soft strands. A chuckle rumbled through his chest as his fingers continued to trail the length of my body.

"Are you trying to feminize me?" He joked, his voice soft as his words caressed me, "You know I won't be much use to you if I'm a woman …"

I laughed as I continued with my braiding, "To feminize someone, means to give said person a feminine appearance or character," I said, "That doesn't necessarily mean you'll turn into a woman, comrade."

"I'm not willing to take that risk." He joked lightly.

"I think I'll chance it." An almost pained laughed escaped his lips as his hand dropped from my leg, lifting his hand until it lay underneath his head, his elbow bent and his neck turned as he looked at me. His expression showed nothing but an incredibly handsome man who lacked any emotion, but with a little more observation, I could see the mixture of emotions and feelings that brewed in his gaze. I saw pain, regret, fear, and surprise, which shocked me. "What's the matter?"

A cracked, distorted laugh slithered from his open mouth as he looked blankly at me, trying to hide the feelings that were stitched in every brown line of his iris. "It's nothing … I just seem to be rendered completely caught off guard whenever I'm with you." I tried to arch my left brow, failing miserably but Dimitri knew that I wanted him to carry on, "If – If I was to have a motto in life, it would definitely be 'never take the chance' … and yet, here I am taking all these chances."

His hand snaked up to touch the rosary beads that lay on his neck as he looked at the ceiling, and through those dark stone eyes, I knew a dam of chaotic emotions gnawed at his mind. I didn't understand what he was trying to say, what exactly were we chancing here? What was he chancing by lying here with me? "You need to loosen up Dimitri; Christ's sake you sound like a man in his late thirties," I said, crawling over his body until I straddled his hips, his hands immediately moving to my waist. I could feel his fingers through the thin fabric of my shirt, causing my body to rise in the expected goose-bumps. "The life of a teenager revolves around being impulsive; life itself is about _taking_ chances, not avoiding them."

I could see the cocoon that he fashioned around himself, and I watched as he fabricated it into an unyielding wall. I wanted to ask him all about the unspoken demons and turmoil that he kept chained to his heart and mind and I wanted to completely demolish the impermeable bricks that he constructed around himself, so I could fully see the real Dimitri Belikov. There was a rare moment when his sculpted charade would crack, and a flash of his true, beautiful personality would shine through, bursting out of the cocoon he had structured like a wondrous, beautiful butterfly. I continued to look at him, his eyes cold and harsh as he looked at the white ceiling, his pupils purposely avoiding mine. I knew there wasn't a way in hell that he would tell me what was wrong. I felt slightly hurt by that assumption, but I accepted that this was how it was going to be—until Dimitri learned to trust, he wasn't going to share anything with anyone.

"Well, I haven't really had the liberty to take chances, Rose," He said, as if each word caused him great pain.

"Why not?" I asked, hoping that maybe he'd shed a little light onto the situation.

"You know the story; Drunken, abusive dad, divorced parents, moving from house to house," He said with a shrug, as if he were implying that the subject didn't hurt him—but I knew it did, "I don't feel much like taking a walk down memory lane… seeing how it's long, daunting and dark—more of an alleyway than anything else."

I sighed and stayed silent for a while as I watched him, finally, releasing another heavy sigh, I spoke, "You're right; I do know the story," I said, pressing my hands to his chest as my hair curtained my face deciding to ignore the second half of his answer, "Because it's my story too. Abusive father? Check. Divorced parents? Uh, check and moving house to house? Well, that's a check too."

"Well maybe I'm not as brave as you," He muttered, "Maybe I didn't have the courage to break away, like you did."

I couldn't help but choke out a laugh, packed with as much sarcasm that I could muster. "Me? _Brave_?" I chuckled sarcastically, "I'm a lot of things, Dimitri—a bitch for starts, along with impulsive, careless and at times I am slightly vindictive— but no way on God's earth am I brave."

"You doubt yourself, Rose," He said with a slight laugh, a breath left his lips, "You may be all those things, but you're also courageous, beautiful, dependent, feisty," He murmured, his eyes met mine but the way he looked at me was as though he were embarrassed to be saying the words that rolled off his tongue. "You shouldn't doubt the strength of your character—you have backbone, and that isn't something you should doubt."

A small smile lifted on my lips as I bent down and pressed them to his softly, more of a caress than anything else. I squirmed in delight when he sighed shakily, his shoulders dropped as he watched me with bright eyes. His own sincere smile spread across his face, and at that moment it blew my mind away that at one stage, we had hated each other. Looks of hatred switched for looks of adoration, the harsh words turned to soft beautiful ones and the horrible, hate-filled relationship became one that no-one had expected. I lifted my hand, and although my insides fluttered madly, my hand stayed strong as I brushed a piece of his long hair away from his face. God. Why was he so beautiful?

I felt a slight blush spread across my face, causing his soft smile to broaden—my blush deepened in colour when he sat himself on his elbows and pressed a soft, delicate kiss to my cheek as if he were afraid I would smash in his arms. The passionate, fiery kisses that we had were mind-blowing and, as cliché as it sounds, were out of this world, but it was moments like this; soft, gentle and beautiful, that astounded me. One look at Dimitri, a well-known womanizer, and you could tell that he liked things rough, hard but here he was, treating me as though I were a butterfly in the palm of his hand. Somehow, no matter how much I liked validating my independency, I loved feeling small in his embrace, loved feeling that he could protect me no matter what and I loved how he made me feel like the most precious thing that ever existed.

I knew that Dimitri kept his secrets, and I had begun to accept that factor. I figured he would tell me in his own time, but there were still certain moments where I would become seriously pissed that he couldn't trust me—I knew that if I wanted things to work out, I had to do things at his pace. We had only been practising this 'almost relationship' for a week and I shouldn't have been expecting all these confessions from him, no matter how long it felt since we had started this 'thing'. I didn't know what to call it—it wasn't exactly a relationship, yet we couldn't exactly call each other friends. As a mutual agreement, we decided that keeping this 'thing' between us a secret, was the best thing to do, yet living in secrecy wasn't as fun as some might think. It was palpably obvious that if the arrangement between Dimitri and I became public, people would put on labels on it, which would no doubt destroy what we had and that was something I _definitely_ didn't want.

My thoughts continued to spin around my mind like a washing machine, but whereas the machine washed away the dirt, my mind filled with shocking, dirty images as I continued to straddle his waist, my hands began to snake up the expanse of his amazing chest, finally allowing my fingers to wrap behind his neck. His smile expanded as he allowed my hands to travel back down his body, not moving once to touch me in return. I was glad; I wanted to be able to feel his body without any restrictions, to just feel him underneath the palm of my hand as I watched the affect I had on him. His skin immediately lifted in goose-bumps and his breathing increased until it was deep, panty breaths. I bit my lip, causing him to moan loudly. I giggled slightly before running my hand up his stomach, feeling every defined ridge under his thin skin that stretch across rock hard abs. My breathing cracked as I continued my touching, stopping suddenly when my fingers scratched against something cold, the small crystals rolled against the skin of my fingers as I tore away my hand.

I glanced at the rosary beads that fell between his muscled pectorals. My curiosity was obvious as my fingers flicked the black crystals. "You still wear these?"

His glazed eyes cleared and a grunt irrupted from his chest as he lifted himself up, his head dropped to look at the black beads. "Obviously, or I wouldn't be wearing them." He joked, taking the cross that dangled from the bottom of the holy necklace, as he fiddled with it. My eyes caught a small dragon indent on the cold silver, and I found that a little weird. Why was there a dragon on rosary beads?

My hand stretched across the short distance between us as my fingers clamped onto the beads. I saw that Dimitri swallowed. Hard. "You know you still haven't told—" My sentence was interrupted by my own choke, as my eyes noticed that deeply embedded in the black crystals was a very familiar symbol. "Huh … I didn't know you had Turkish heritage…"

"What?" He asked with a chuckle, pushing himself up against the head of the bed as I continued to straddle his legs, "I'm not Turkish."

"It's weird; I've never seen anyone who isn't Turkish own a Nazar," I said as I casually played with the rosary, "Much less embedded onto a pair of rosary…"

"What can I say?" He with a nonchalant shrug, which seemed weirdly put on, "I'm one of a kind."

I should have giggled at his little joke, but I couldn't. The symbol of the Nazar also known as the 'evil eye stone' had only been shown to me once before, during one of my depressing stays in the Mazur Manor over summer. My father had placed a huge ornament of the eye in my bedroom and had told me that the eye looked out for evil—I had to admit, when I was younger, the sight of the symbol scared the living shit out of me. Nights I would lie awake looking at the ominous blue shades that looked wickedly black in the darkness of the night. The large, creepy pupil watched me as though it burrowed through my soul, looking for evil. Seeing it again reminded me of my father, and I didn't particularly like that Dimitri was wearing something that closely related to the old man.

"Why are you wearing it?"

He shrugged heavily once, "Does it matter?" He asked, "It's just a stupid pair of rosary beads—and if Jesus Christ ascends from heaven and banishes me to the fiery pits of hell for saying that, the blame's going on you sister."

"I think I'll take his mighty wrath," I snorted sarcastically, the curiosity continued to grow in me, "It's just … my dad's Turkish and that symbol just reminds me of him … and I don't like seeing anything to do with him on you. I like what I have now—complete freedom from my father's grip … it's reassuring to know that if anyone who _did_ have something to do with him, could be cut out of my life faster than they could have time to contravene."

Dimitri masked his heavy swallow with a laugh, "So what you're saying is that I have to get rid of the rosary or you're kicking my ass?" His fingers continued to roll the little black, crystal balls, his eyes seemed to look so dark and heavy.

"No, I'm not saying that…" I said, feeling a little confused, "I'm just saying that although I don't like seeing those little God damned eyes on you, it reminds me that I'm no longer control by Abe … so, I'm not totally fussed whether you keep it or not."

"Good." He murmured, rolling himself over until I lay underneath his body, he leaned on his elbows so as to not completely crush me, "Because these won't be coming off anytime soon."

My fingers continued to brush along him until they skimmed across the jagged skin of his scar. I wanted to ask him how he had gotten the huge gash; I could see it now—bar fights, knives, high blood alcohol level—it was just something that came to mind when I thought of the scarred Dimitri. I remembered that on my first day on St. Vladimir's Tasha had told me about a 'bender' that Dimitri had taken whilst under suspension, I didn't want to make him talk about anything he didn't want to, but I was extremely curious…

"Hey, remember that time, like … a few months back when I first started St. Vlad's? And you came back after weeks of suspension?" I asked, feeling him tense above me and I knew that it was something more than he actually let on, "What were you suspended for?"

A sad laugh escaped him, "I, uh, wasn't under suspension…"

"You weren't?"

"No, it… it was a cover-up."

"A cover-up?" I asked, my eyes scanning his beautiful face, "So you weren't on a bender?"

"If you call a bender getting high on morphine and hospital food, then yeah, I was on a bender," I could see that he was trying to lighten the mood, but I could still see something…something dark that lurked in his expression, "I was off school because I was in the intensive care unit…"

"What?" I gasped, pressing my hand against him. He still hovered above me.

"I was in hospital for a few months, and I didn't want anyone to know…" He titled his head nonchalantly, trying to give the impression that it didn't faze him, "I, uh, was stabbed on the neck and all over my stomach."

"By who?" I asked; my voice rising in pitch until it was a mere squeak, feeling the tears clog in my eyes.

I felt him tense even more above me, and his eyes left mine as his lips tightened into a straight line, "Just some… just some asshole."

"What? Did he at least—"

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening loudly interrupted the rest of my sentence, as a familiar voice roared through the apartment, "ROSE!"

I didn't have time to continue my question as the sound of stampeding feet rumbled through. With the panic that came from finding out about the origin of Dimitri's scar, and the fact that Dimitri was in my room when we weren't even suppose to be talking, almost made me hurl. What were we going to do? I dived off Dimitri, almost hurdling myself out of the two-story window as I bounced off his body, feeling the loss immediately.

"ROSE!" I heard Tasha call again, my eyes snapping to Dimitri's in a panic.

As far as anyone was concerned, Dimitri and I weren't talking. We staged fake arguments, and stayed as far away as possible from each other whilst in the company of someone else. It was stupid what we were doing, but it was our decision and we didn't want anyone finding out about us, until we found out what 'us' was.

"Scream!" Dimitri whispered, clenching his teeth as he jumped up from my bed, pulling down the hem of his shirt as he walked towards the door.

I understood immediately what he wanted me to do, "Get the fuck out of my room!" I screeched, grabbing him by the wrist as I opened my door, ignoring the many people that stood in our living room, watching, "GET OUT!"

"Sweet Jesus, that's not the reaction I was expecting," Dimitri said as he walked out, holding his hands as if he were protecting himself. Sparks flashed in his eyes as we pretended to fight, "Usually when a girl finds me sprawled across her bed, her first instinct is to join me—you're a disappointment, Hathaway."

"And you're a disgusting horny Neanderthal, Belikunt." I falsely growled, spinning around to look at Tasha who stood amongst the rest of our friends, "Please, will you tell this sex-driven maniac to stay the fuck away from me?"

Tasha sighed and placed her skateboard against the wall, standing up again as she ran a hand through her beautiful, short black hair, "What did you do this time, Dimitri?" She said; her voice exasperated. Adrian, Sydney, Christian, Lissa, Sonya and surprisingly Natalie stood behind her, and it was obvious she had recruited the whole team together for some incomprehensible reason, "Didn't we agree that you would leave her alone?"

Dimitri sauntered closer to Tasha and flicked a strand of hair that fell across her face, "No, you agreed. I nodded idiotically, thinking of Rose in a sexy little nurse outfit."

I had to resist the urge to smile, and it was extremely hard to ignore—_Think of something that infuriates you_, I growled inside myself, _boiling_ _puppies, shaving cats, Abe_. "I think I've mentioned this a few times, but it seems worth repeating: you disgust me. You. Pompous. Jerk."

"Stop fucking around with her Dimitri," Sonya voiced, "She's your friend."

Dimitri chuckled, "Tasha's _your_ friend, and you don't seem to mind fucking around with her. Literally."

"And I'm sure if you were given the chance, you'd fuck around with Rose. Literally," Tasha growled, walking around to flop down on the couch, "Now, would you all save me from the graces of a killer migraine and just shut the fuck up?"

My eyes met briefly with Dimitri's, a small smirk lifting on my lips as I sat myself down on the large, fat beanbag chair that sat directly in front of Dimitri, who decided to take the armchair. The rest of our friends occupied the rest of the seats, Natalie sitting the closest to me. It had been a long time since I had seen her, and although we hadn't exactly been the best of chums, I was glad to see her face. I noticed that her eyes seemed a little glazy, and that Dimitri kept looking at her with an expression of concern on his face. All I could think was _who died_?

"Okay bitches, it's four o'clock now, and we literally have two hours to get ready." Sydney said, kicking her high heels off to sit on the coffee table. "It's going to be hard, but not impossible."

I was a little confused, "Mind telling me what's happening in two hours?" I asked, "Or are you too busy peeling the leather from our couch."

Her hazel eyes lifted to look at me, and she immediately flicked away the red leather that she was rolling in her fingers, "Open mike night at some club—I don't care what you say, Rosemarie, we are going."

I looked in puzzlement at Christian, who gave me an unbothered shrug and smile as a response, "No, no. I don't do singing." I said.

"You don't do a lot of things, apparently," She murmured, her eyes glued on Dimitri. I almost coughed in surprise, and I narrowed my eyes in false disgust, "But you are definitely doing this."

All my friends looked at me, even Dimitri, all of their eyes expecting my answer. I knew the night depended on my answer, because they wouldn't leave me to be alone—I felt guilty watching their big eyes gaze at me, and it wasn't like I had to sing—so I agreed. "Fine. Whatever. Just know I won't be singing, and if any of you stand up to sing, I'll disown you as a friend."

"Yay!" Lissa chirped, hugging onto Christian. I smiled as I watched him wrap his arm around her, how his eyes showed how much he adored her. My gaze involuntarily shot to Dimitri, who was glaring straight back at me. I had a feeling he was thinking the exact same thing I was—things would be a lot easier, if we had things out on the open. Still, it wasn't a risk that either of us were willing to take.

"Okay, so for all those who own a dick, please leave through either exits—the window or the door," Tasha said, standing up as she ripped off her leather jacket, "You don't walk through the door, I'll hurl you through the window; your choice."

Adrian started strolling towards the door, but Christian and Dimitri stood still, glaring at Tasha, "Yeah, and how are we going to get ready?" Christian asked, clearly backed up by the tall Russian, "You want us to go the party naked?"

I heard a quiet, seductive 'Yes, please' leave Sydney's lips as she eyed Christian and Dimitri— no one else must have heard it, except for Lissa who immediately began glaring at my lily-faced friend.

"No, get whatever you're wearing and get changed at Adrian's," Tasha said with a shrug, "Takes guys two minutes to get ready—and believe me, boys, you wouldn't want to get caught up in the tornado that is girls getting dressed in a rush."

"I don't know," Dimitri purred, "I'm always up for the challenge."

"Fuck off, you perverted hornball." Tasha growled, throwing a pillow at him.

He chuckled and dodged the pillow that hurdled towards him. I smiled as I watched him—that half crooked smile stretched across his mouth. The cuts on his face were still visible, but they had seriously healed throughout the week. The huge, disgusting gash had closed and was now no more than a scab—it was still disgusting to look at, but somehow Dimitri made it work. He looked seriously hot … and bad. Really bad. I swallowed the clump of want that lurked in my throat, and continued to watch carefully as he messed around with Tasha.

"That's it!" Tasha growled, throwing another pillow at Christian when she saw he had been laughing, "Dick owners! Leeeeeave!"

Dimitri put up both hands, and with the sound of boots walking across the floor, he strolled into his bedroom, shortly followed by Christian. A curt wave brought my attention to Adrian who watched me with a soft smile—it had been so long since we had talked or had fun, I was actually quite glad that he was coming tonight. I was just about to stand to speak with him, when Dimitri and Christian came out, bags in hand. I thought Tasha was being slightly unfair, but she was right—there were five girls and we only had a certain amount of time to get ready—no boys allowed.

Everyone said their goodbyes, and I made sure to stay away from Dimitri, even though the distance between us was killing me. As I allowed myself to take a peek at him, I noticed that he too was feeling the aching spaces between us, and he certainly didn't like it. I tried to ignore him so much, but most of the time it proved to be so difficult—I tried to convince myself that staying in secrecy was for a good reason, we weren't ready to… become public. I had barely ever been in a relationship before, and I _knew_ Dimitri hadn't—both of us had to sacrifice each other, to some extent, until we were ready. The prospect of being a couple scared the living shit out of both of us, the way we were working suited us fine, there really wasn't a reason for us to tell anyone. It was nobody's business.

"I don't see why the guys have to leave," Christian mumbled, "What is this? A wedding?"

Tasha snorted, "No, it's me getting sick of looking at your face, so if you losers don't mind," She strolled towards the door, "Adios, motherfuckers."

The guys left, and it took all of three seconds for the 'tornado-of-girls-getting-ready-in-a-rush' to begin.

_**Rose…**_

The sound of waves crashing off the shore rang in my ears as we stood outside the active club, gathering the courage to step forwards. We had fake ID's, and although they looked realistic and believable, it still felt a little risky having to step forward. I had to admit, it had only occurred to me whilst sitting in the car that we could have been going to 'The Court' but that was the last place I wanted to go. Andre had been released from hospital a few days before, his body fully rejuvenated—I didn't care that I could probably kill him with one swift kick to the balls, the fact that he was out scared me a little. I had cared about Andre, and to know that I couldn't even press charges because his family was so rich pissed me the fuck right off. I didn't blame Lissa, not at all—Andre was her brother, and I knew that I would never betray my own sibling, Eddie, no matter what. He was family.

"We looked like dickheads standing here," Tasha said, because it was only open-mike night, we had dressed casually and Tasha was wearing everything black, of course—she wore ripped skinny jeans, a black NIRVANA top, and a pair of black converse. Her hair was in its usually messy scruff and her makeup mainly consisted on the black eyeliner that made her gorgeous blue eyes illuminate. "If we don't move forward, they're gonna know something's up."

"Then you step forward," Sydney said, looking at her manicured nails. She was the only one who had worn a dress, and of course, that was paired with her extravagant high heels. "Stop telling us to do something when you won't even do it yourself."

"Okay, okay," I growled, stepping forward, "I'll go first."

I turned around and took a deep breath, my red heels clicking off the cobbled ground. I could hear the loud thuds of music vibrating through the air as I strolled towards the large man who stood in black; his arms folded as he guarded the door and checked ID's. I wore a black and white vest top, with a big pair of red lips on the front, along with extra tight, light denim jeans. The tall man, who I guessed to be in his thirties glared at me carefully as I stepped forward and immediately showed him my ID.

His eyes looked behind me, and I knew that my friends had finally joined me. I could see Lissa's blonde hair from the corner of my eye, and I could smell Natalie's cherry perfume and with my friends by my side, I felt slightly more confident.

The man took my ID out of my hand; his eyes dropped the laminated piece of card as he assessed it, looking slightly sceptical. I felt every pump of blood that pulsed through my body; the sound rang through my ears as I tried to stay straight. This happened all the time in New York, but it had been so long since I had been in my home city. Finally, after what seemed like ages, he handed me the card back and gave me entry with a grunt and nod. I tried to mask my excitement as I sauntered into the club; waiting for my friends to have their own fake ID's checked.

I knew the guys were in here somewhere already, probably up at the bar and as I waited for my friends to come through one by one, the sound of the music thudded through my ears. I could see from the large stage that the microphone had already been set up, and the atmosphere that pulsed through the room was pleasant and exciting.

"I need a drink." Natalie said, pressing a hand to her head. I smiled at her as we walked towards the bar, and my suspicions were true. Sitting next to each other in a line, was Dimitri, Christian and Adrian a shot of some form of alcohol in their hands. I was surprised to see that Dimitri hadn't taken his yet.

"Hello, ballbags," Tasha greeted, reaching over Dimitri to steal his shot, knocking it back straight away, "Let's get a table."

The guys scooted off their chairs, and Dimitri's eyes immediately sought out mine, his pupils that were framed in a gorgeous brown lock onto me as a smile crept up my lips. It was hard, having to move my gaze away, but I did as I moved with the rest of my friends to sit at the large table. I sat down next to my two best friends, Sydney and Tasha watching how the guys set a drink in front of each of the girls. I held the small glass in my hand, but didn't really feel the urge to drink the watered down alcohol. I watched how everyone knocked back their drinks immediately, noticing how Dimitri drank about as much as me—which was nothing.

My eyes snapped to him, as if his body had a magnetic allure to my pupils. Almost every second, I would look at him to see that he was staring right back, his eyes clouded with some dark emotion, both us completely unaware of the loud activity that buzzed around us. From the intensity of our gazes, it would look to our friends as though we were about to kill each other, but the skin around his eyes was soft and his mouth was relaxed—I knew what was passing through his head, and it closely matched with the thoughts in mine. With the sound of the sensual music thudding and his heated, dark gaze, I felt a tingle spread through my body, and I had to press my thighs together to thirst the thrumming friction that he caused to spread through my lady parts. I loved, yet hated what he did to me. I felt at any moment's time I would dive over the table and just… _take_ him.

"So," Adrian said, popping the intimate connection that had been flowing between Dimitri and me, his voice loud as he shouted over the pulsing music, "Dude, you going to get some pussy?"

Dimitri's fingers played with the small glass in his hand as he looked at Adrian. Fear and worry mixed with the rushing flow of my blood as I awaited his answer. He couldn't say no, because it would have been so uncharacteristic of him, but if he said yes, he knew that he would hurt me. My hands shook as he looked at me, and I could see in his eyes that he didn't want to go out into the carnal group of dancers, but he had no choice. At that moment I despised Adrian for asking that question, I looked down at my glass and ignored the prick of tears that stung my eyes as he stood up.

"Yeah… sure." He shouted past the loud thuds of music, and I could almost imagine him running a hand through his hair. The difficulty of masking my pain was great as he started to knock back his drink, I could almost feel his regret bouncing off him.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Tasha asked loudly, her voice matching volume with Dimitri. Her head snapping up from her kiss with Sonya, her blue eyes laced with anger.

He took a deep breath and didn't look at me, "You must have missed all the hot ass out there whilst your lips were glued to my sister," He chuckled, and I could see how much it cost him to say that. My stomach churned with sickness, and I wanted to run to the bathroom…the thought of his hands on any girl… it…it crushed me. "I can't miss out on that hot action."

"I think you can," Tasha growled, her voice still loud, "Sit down. You're out with us tonight, not some slut you can stick your dick into, got it?"

A wave of great relief washed over me, and I could see that the same affect had taken over Dimitri. His beautiful eyes met mine over the table and I couldn't help that smile that lifted from my lips. My drink continued to sit in front of me, and I couldn't bring myself to drink it. I know it was stupid, but the last time I had consumed alcohol, it resulted in my almost rape, and I didn't feel like drinking. I was being idiotic… but I couldn't do it. I noticed that Dimitri watched me as the memories of that night washed over me; Andre's over-powering hands, my slack body, feeling helpless—I felt sick to my core. The thuds of the boisterous music thumping through my mind didn't help too much either.

I saw a small pale hand stretch from the corner of my eye as it clamped around my glass, taking it out of my sight. I turned my head to see that Sydney had knocked back my drink, a sweet smile on her face.

"You snooze, you lose." She winked, handing me back the empty glass. I opened my mouth to give her a snappy reply when I heard a new girly, high pitched voice slither through the crowded table. My head snapped to look at who had joined us to see a stunning blonde haired girl that I had never met before bending over, her boobs clearly visible as she flirted with Dimitri, causing a sickening rage to sore through my veins. I breathed heavily as I continued to watch.

"You wanna dance, Belikov?" She purred, lifting a hand to caress his muscled arm. I knew that this was one of the girls that Dimitri had obviously fooled around with. Suddenly the urge to drink a lot of alcohol thumped through me, I wanted to drown the rage. _Control_ _yourself Rose… Control yourself…_

"Not necessarily," Dimitri said, folding his arms as her claws continued to clamp onto him, "If I wanted to dance with something plastic, I'd dance with a grocery bag."

A flash of anger shot through her heavily made up eyes before she composed herself, bending down further as she continued to flirt, "You didn't mind fucking 'something plastic' that time when—"

"Will you fuck off?" Dimitri asked, taking her wrist in his large hand before he shoved it away, "I'm not interested."

She backed up a little, and her caked eyes skimmed across our friends. Her nose crinkled in disgust when she saw Tasha and Sonya kissing, and I felt like pounding her into the ground with my fist—she continued to look at us, her eyes fell on me and they began to search my face, before she looked at Sydney. Then she started looking between my friend and me as though she couldn't decide who she hated more. I assumed she thought one of us was with Dimitri, seeing as how we were the only girls not sucking face. Christian and Lissa were effectively wrapped in each other's arms, as were Tasha and Sonya much to Adrian's disgust, considering how he was stuck between the two couples.

"Oh… I get it," She said, standing up as she placed a falsely tanned hand on her skinny waist, "You're fucking one of these chicks, aren't you? Knowing you, you're probably fucking both."

"Even if I was, it has fuck all to do with you," He growled, "So please do us the honour of fucking yourself away from here, before I make one of these 'chicks' kick your cunt in."

She snorted, "As if—"

I couldn't help myself as I leaned forward, feeling Sydney's excitement buzz next to me, "Listen, you obviously don't comprehend what my friend is trying to say," I growled, "So I'm going to spell it out for you—he isn't interested. You look desperate. Fuck off."

Her eyes narrowed as she towered over me, causing me to stand immediately. My eyes lined with hers and I could tell that everyone at the table, including Dimitri, was looking at the confrontation.

"Who are you?" She snapped; her eyes dark as she assessed me, obviously feeling slightly distasted when she saw I wasn't some ugly twat.

"That doesn't matter," I said, bringing myself closer to her, "Feel free to stay here if you want to look like a complete fool, but if you want to save any dignity that you've lost through fucking around with almost every asshole in this joint, I'd advise you to leave."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, it wasn't a threat," I said menacingly, "But if you want me to threaten you, I will. I would love any excuse to kill you, asshole."

I had to shout it over the loud music, but I was surprisingly calm considering how pissed and annoyed I was inside—even through this whole argument, I still wanted to seem as though this girl was just pissing me off, instead of the fact that she was trying to steal the guy I … cared for. She continued to glare at me before a wicked smile lifted on her lips as she turned to leer at Dimitri.

"You can pretend you don't want me, Belikov," She said with a shrug, "Either way, we'll end up fucking again… I hope to see you up on that stage tonight."

I rolled my eyes, "Okay, bye-bye now."

She turned around and glared at me before sauntering off, the sway of her hips made me want to run over and kill her. My self-restraint chained up my feral, animal-like emotions that raged to free, but with a shaky breath I sat down to see that Tasha and everyone else was glancing curiously at me. I didn't even want to look at Dimitri in fear of what I would find there—I had no right to stand up, but I couldn't help myself.

"Holy shit, that was hot," Adrian said, taking another sip of his drink, "Reminds me of the New York Rose."

"I'm still New York Rose," I said, sitting back down as I tried to ignore the scorching stare that Dimitri had on me, "Just slightly more… sober."

Sydney laughed and looked at Dimitri, "You going to sing tonight?" She asked, "That… _thing_ kinda gave the impression that you've been up there before."

"Yeah, with a much higher blood alcohol level than I have now," He said, staring down at his full glass, "I don't plan on singing…"

His eyes met mine, and I knew what he was thinking about—that night, a week ago, when he sang to me with a guitar in his hand as he poured his heart out. I still remembered his beautiful face contorted in pain and sorrow as he let a piece of his true self-show. I knew that he was finally letting someone in after years of being in solitude. Being lonely wasn't hard for Dimitri because he had grown up with it, divorced parents, a horrible dad, being ignored; he had become accustomed to people not caring. Being alone wasn't hard, but letting someone in, through the thick walls that covered his feelings, was. The most difficult thing Dimitri had ever done was let someone _through_ his impermeable charade, and the ache in my heart swelled when I realized that I was the girl he was relieving himself with—I was the girl he trusted, the girl who he showed his true self to.

"Oh, go on Dimitri!" Sonya said, her eyes immediately snapping to me, "I know you said you didn't want any of us singing tonight, but Rose, you haven't heard him sing—even pissed out of his mind, his voice is amazing!"

A smile threatened to lift on my lips, knowing that he had a perfectly beautiful voice and that his guitar skills were amazing. I wanted him to sing, I wanted to hear that hypnotic voice again, but I was afraid to show my enthusiasm… and I couldn't help the fear that coursed through me. If he sang a song, which would no doubt show us the cocky, womanizing Dimitri Belikov, would it erase the romantic memory of that special night? It was stupid, but whenever he sang to me, I felt special, precious, and delicate as if he would never sing to another girl ever again. It was stupid to think Dimitri playing the guitar was 'our' thing, and that the song he had sang was 'our' song—it was idiotic to assume that he would never sing to anyone else again— but I still wanted to hear him sing.

"Sure, go on…" I said, looking at him with a smile, "Sing all you want Belikov, I'm sure you'll love the attention."

"I get attention anyway, Hathaway," He purred, standing up, knocking back his drink as he looked towards the stage where a very unattractive man had just finished singing 'Sex on Fire' by Kings of Leon—I was glad I had missed that. Dimitri gave us a wink before he strolled through the large crowd, and it took me a while to notice that Sydney was pushing my arm.

"What?" I asked, snapping my attention from his amazing ass.

"We're going to the dance floor to watch him!" She said; pushing me until I almost fell off the cushioned chair. We all gathered our things and pushed pass the sweaty dancers who couldn't seem to part even though there was no music playing, I looked up at the stage to see that Dimitri was whispering in a man's ear, and immediately the man handed Dimitri a gorgeous chestnut coloured guitar. He grabbed the strap and put it over his shoulder, nodding towards the band that lay behind him. I noticed how a lot, and I mean _a_ _lot_ of girls stared at him, smirks of appreciation on their faces. Many of them shied away when he flashed his gorgeous smile, as he neared the microphone radiating confidence, that same smile on his beautiful face. I hugged my arms around myself a sense of warmth spread through me; that gorgeous man, the man who everyone was glancing at in either envy or want, was _mine_.

His head tilted forward as he moved his mouth closer to his microphone and looked out into the crowd, and as soon as his eyes fell upon me, an even more beautiful smile lifted on his lips. "Hey," He husked into the mike, and I could plainly see that girls were practically swooning at his accent—not that I could blame them. I turned my head to see Sydney, Tasha, Lissa, and Natalie jumping excitedly next to me, loving how Sonya watched in disgust as Sydney practically drooled over her brother. Adrian and Christian looked at Dimitri with smirks of their own, waiting in anticipation for Dimitri to begin. I stayed silent, and pressed a hand to my mouth. "I'm going to be singing, 'She will be loved' by Maroon 5… and this one's for my girlfriend."

I could see that room dropped in disappointment, but my blood thrived through my veins and it was like every inch of my skin lit in excitement. _Girlfriend_! His beautiful, dark eyes lifted to look at me, a smirk on his lips as he started thrumming the guitar, and the band played behind him. Tasha and the rest of our friends stopped jumping and stared at him in shock. Obviously, they hadn't been expecting that—Dimitri Belikov with a girlfriend? It was rarer than a lunar eclipse. I ignored their annoyed chatting and looked at Dimitri, who freely sang to me in front of the crowd.

His guitar continued to strum, and his beautiful voice filled the room, causing girls to squirm as he sang.

_Beauty queen of only eighteen,_

_She had some trouble with herself_

He looked straight at me.

_He was always there to help her _

_She always belong to someone else_

_I drove for miles and miles,_

_And wound up at your door_

_I've had so many times, but somehow I want more_

His eyes lifted to meet mine, and as he continued to play, it was if we were the only two people in the room.

_I don't mind spending every day, _

_Out on your corner in the pouring rain_

_Look for the girl with the broken smile_

_Ask if she wants to stay a while, _

_And she will be loved, she will be loved_

I pressed a hand to my heart as my eyes pricked, and even though he was in front of a large crowd, he let his pain bleed through his beautiful music.

_Tap on my window, knock on my door_

_I want to make you feel beautiful, _

_I know I tend to get so insecure, it doesn't matter anymore_

_It's not always rainbows and butterflies, _

_It's compromise that moves us along, yeah,_

_My heart's full and my doors always open,_

_You come anytime you want_

He closed his eyes as he leaned into the microphone, and I knew he meant every word he sang.

_I don't mind spending every day, _

_Out on your corner in the pouring rain,_

_Look for the girl with the broken smile_

_Ask if she wants to stay a while_

_And she will be loved, and she will be loved,_

_And she will be loved, and she will be loved…_

_I know where you hide, alone in your car,_

_Know all of the things, that make you who you are,_

_I know that Goodbye means nothing at all,_

_Comes back and begs me, catch her every time she falls…_

My heart wacked against my chest as he continued to sing; sing for me…

_Tap on my window, knock on my door,_

_I want to make you feel beautiful_

_I don't mind spending every day,_

_Out on your corner in the pouring rain, _

_Look for the girl with the broken smile,_

_Ask her if she wants to stay a while _

_And she will be loved, she will be loved_

_And she will be loved, she will be loved_

His eyes opened and he looked straight at me, his muscled arms continued to move as his fingers strummed at the guitar, his heart in his eyes as he winked at me. Immediately girls from every direction looked towards me, but I didn't care—I watched as he finished the song, the second song that he had sung to me, and yet it had the same affect on me like the first. My heart swelled with all these emotions that I had never felt for anybody before, and I knew what it was, no matter how much I didn't want to admit it. I had been denying it for so long, trying to slow things down, but how could I? I loved Dimitri Belikov, loved him with everything I had. How could I slow down love? How could I deny it?

I felt a huge blush spread across my face, turning to look at my friends who were staring at me, all of their mouths open in shock. Tasha's tattooed arm lifted as she ran a hand through her hair, still unable to speak. I continued to feel uncomfortable under their glares, so I looked towards the stage to see that Dimitri had already left the band and he was nowhere in sight.

"You're dating Dimitri?" Tasha choked, her voice high pitched and frantic. "You didn't think to tell me?"

A diverse amount of emotions merged and synthesized in my core as I looked around the room for Dimitri, the bright pulsing lights and the loud music that dominated the room swirled around me and I felt dizzy. I couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation, so I shoved through my friends.

"I need some air." I choked as I ran through the dancers, girls of every age glared at me in jealousy as I burst through the front door; fear, love and confusion amalgamated in my stomach as I tried to breathe—I was freaking the fuck out.

_**Dimitri…**_

Dimitri leaned against the wall, the flashes of bright strobe lights bounced off the black expanse that he rested against as he pressed a hand against his eyes. _What the hell have I done?_ He asked himself as he slumped against the hardness of the wall, feeling everything drop in his stomach. He knew he shouldn't have sung that song in front of all their friends, everything was going to be ruined now and no doubt the relationship was going to be destroyed. He referred to her as his girlfriend when they hadn't even had that conversation yet! Did he scare her? Would she talk to him?

He wanted to talk to her badly, he knew how things went with Rose and him,—neither of them had been good at commitment, so it only seemed wise not to put a label on things, so they had nothing to commit to. He was stupid, why had he risked something so amazing? For all intents and purposes, Rose was his girlfriend, and even if there was no label on their relationship, he wasn't going to be with other girls. No one even appealed to him anymore; how could they? Rose occupied his almost every thought, and if he were to lose her and was forced back into a life of no meaning...how could he go back to seeing normal girls when he once had Rose? It was like having the most luxurious, stunning mansion and giving it up to live on the streets. He saw no-one but his Roza.

With a heavy sigh, he backed away from the wall and strolled through the crowd. He ignored the stares that some girls threw his way, especially ignoring them when one got a little brave and blew a kiss or waved—he didn't need that. He needed Rose.

He continued to shove pass the dancers that moved to the carnal, rhythmic music as he looked for his friends. As he had sang, Rose looked at him as if he were the only man in the room, as if she saw nothing but him and that gave him such confidence that he could sing with such clarity and truth. How could he not see just how much he fucked things up? Was he over-exaggerating?

Finally, his eyes fell on Natalie who stood next to a table as she drank a large glass of whiskey.

"Tali, where's Rose?" He looked frantically at her, and he knew he should have been gentler. Only a week ago he had thrown her cousins body in the ocean, and yet here she was pretending as if she wasn't worried about a member of her family who had suddenly gone missing. "Did you see her?"

"Yeah, she ran outside." Natalie said, eyeing him carefully, her gorgeous green eyes narrowed slightly.

He nodded in thanks, and patted her arm in affection before he dived for the doors, the cold, breezy air smacked him across the face and he was surprised to see that rain lashed from heavy, black clouds that decorated the hidden sky. He wrapped his jacket tighter around his body as the rain pelted down his face, and smacked onto his shoulders making a pattering noise as each wet individual drop landed on the leather of his jacket. The rain-drenched gusts smacked him across the face as he burst out into the street, his feet slapping against shallow puddles.

The thick drops of water fell down his face, causing his hair to stick to his temple and cheeks, and the rain continued to slide down as it dripped off the ends of his hair, chin, and jacket. It was coming down in sheets and he was instantly soaked, making it extremely hard to find Rose through the thick blanket of rain. He boots continued to splash through the puddles as his head snapped side to side, looking for her.

He saw a form through the rain, placing one foot in front of the other he bolted forward. It was Rose. He took a second to fully look at her as she choked on rainwater and tears, wrapping her freezing arms around her torso, which was covered by a drenched t-shirt that stuck to her like a second skin.

"Rose." He choked, tearing the jacket from his body as he placed the leather over her shoulders, immediately covering her cold, soaking arms. The rained continued to pelt, causing his dark hair to stick to his head, as his shirt plastered to his skin like slick, black paint, watching Rose through his soaking, clumped lashes, immediately taking her by the arm into an alley beside the club. They weren't sheltered by the pummelling rain. "What are you doing out here?"

She looked up at him with soaking eyelashes; her dark makeup rained down her face in two clean lines, a black smudge shadowed her lashes. He lifted a thumb and wiped away the marks under her eyes, blemishes that the rain had caused. She watched him carefully as he did so, her gaze soft. The rain smashed against the black pavement at their feet, the water soaked their trousers as they watched each other without speaking. Together they stood in the middle of the alleyway without speaking a word.

High windows above them allowed the sound of muffled music to beat through, the sound of the tunes muted some more by the lashing sounds of the rain. The alley-way was bricked walled, and scattered across the soaked ground was soggy pieces of cardboard, smashed glass and broken amplifiers that obviously weren't used anymore along with a clattering of cigarette buds. A large green dumpster laid at the end of the alley, thankfully the smell was masked by the aroma of freshly fallen water.

"I needed air." She mumbled; water immediately fell into her open mouth, causing Dimitri to lift a hand to wipe a soft thumb across her bottom lip. "Did … were you …did you mean what you said?"

He didn't need her to clarify her words, and although the sound of thudding rain and music was loud, he could hear her words clearly, as though he were speaking them right into his ear. "Yes Rose," He said, water running down his eyelashes, "Every lyric I meant, every word… I know … I know that we aren't ready to admit to each other what's going on, but you _are_ my girlfriend Rose… Girlfriend doesn't even seem to _justify_ what I feel for you—it doesn't seem good enough."

"It is—you have no idea, just how…how good it feels to hear you say that," She mumbled, looking up at him through the lashing water, "We don't talk about how we feel, Dimitri—I get so confused."

He sighed as they stood there, looking at each other, "I always think about the things I want to say to you," He said truthfully, choking on the emotion that travelled up his throat, "Like I literally plan it out in my head but… then I see you, nothing comes out. I can never gather the courage to tell you and I always wonder if you'll ever know what I truly think."

"Tell me." She whispered; her soft caressing voice slithered through the sound of cascading water.

"No matter what I say, no matter what happens, or what I do, no matter how I feel—I'm always thinking about you, Rose…" He said, taking a step closer to her, "Always. People have scars Rose. In all sorts of unexpected places. Like… secret roadmaps of their own personal histories. Diagrams of their old wounds. Most of our wounds heal, leaving nothing behind but a scar. But some of them don't. Some wounds we carry with us everywhere, and although the cut's long gone, the pain still lingers… you heal me, Rose. Everything about you sooths me, like… like I can finally be me without all these…marks that tarnish my soul, that make me hard to love."

Rose took a step forward, and through the pelting, lashing rain he saw that tears mixed in with the torrent, causing them to redden, "You aren't hard to love, Dimitri—you have—you're so easy to love! Everything leaves a mark Dimitri, but with every cut, with every slash that we endure, we become stronger—you make me want to be stronger Dimitri."

Dimitri felt his eyes prick before he took another step forwards, unable to mutter anything more than four words, "Stay with me, Roza…"

"I promise to stay, if you never leave."

Dimitri stepped closer again, and took Rose in his arms as he moved, and kept moving until her back hit the wall, his arms explored her body, and he was kissing her frantically. He knew he shouldn't have been kissing her in a dirty alley-way when she deserved so much better than that, but he couldn't move away when she kissed him back like he was her only way of survival. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, feeling the drenched fabric of his shirt and the corded muscles underneath, she continued to kiss him with such desperation, as though her life depended on it and she felt as though someone was clawing at her swollen heart, and squeezing her already laboured lungs as she found it difficult to breathe. Her fingers travelled down to his belt hoops where she pulled him tighter against her.

"I promise," He said between kisses, their wet hands and faces sliding against each other, "I swear, I'll never leave, Rose."

She gasped as he drew away from her, catching his breath as she stood on her tippy-toes and threw her arms behind his neck. Jumping up immediately, she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, causing him to moan loudly as he crashed her into the bricked wall, enveloping her in his large embrace as his lips covered hers in a feral kiss. His hands clamped onto her thighs tightly, clasping on hard enough to leave bruises as he pushed himself into her, causing her to burrow her fingers deeply into his shoulders as they moaned in each other's mouths. The feverish heat bounced off them as they squirmed against one another, electricity jolted as skin caressed skin, as tongue touched tongue as heart thudded against heart.

He folded his body into hers until everywhere touched, their bodies moulded together perfectly, and he could feel the pounding of his pulse in his throat, he left long, harsh, lingering kisses on her soft mouth, causing her to shudder against his body. He didn't care that their relationship could become difficult, that the label could ultimately destroy them; all he could see was his primal desires evading his every thought. His mouth pressed hard against hers, both of their hearts slammed against each other, nothing divided the love-filled organs but blood, muscle and the thin fabric of their drenched clothing. She drowned in it; the feeling of his body compacted tightly against hers, drowned by the rain that fell down their faces and into their opens mouths. Dimitri's jacket fell to the soaked, dirty ground, causing her bare arms to feel the long strands of soaking wet hair that stuck to his head, wanting to feel more, her hands travelled down and slide up his soaked shirt, feeling the expanse of hot, tight skin of his ridged stomach, feeling each individual scar that sliced through his abdomen. Her fingers continued to trace the prominent angle of his hipbones, peeking out from the waist of his jeans.

He moaned into her lips, kissing harder as if her touch wasn't enough, the feeling of her clinging, wet clothes against her warm body was as though he were touching bare skin and his hands, which had been clamping onto her hips tightly, held on tighter than he thought possible. She wrapped her legs more firmly around his waist, causing a noise of shock that travelled from low in his throat, to ripple through the kiss. His hands immediately slid down to her toned legs, gripping them tightly as he pressed her harder into the wall, his fingers dug deeply into her flesh as she moaned deeply into the kiss.

Their lips moved viscously together, their long hair blanketed either side of their faces as the touch of their sensual bodies created spark of heat to sore through the clattered alley-way. The rain stayed insistent upon their wanting bodies, the large pelts whacked off their lips, the thin lids of their closed eyes and although the water was by no means warm, Dimitri and Rose melted into each other's touch, which heat so piping-ly hot scorching between them. She could feel every movement of his sculpted muscles, feeling the thin skin stretch across the large hills that wired around his arm and every square inch of his body.

He pushed her higher up against his body and she mumbled against his lips, passion and lust husked her words, "Don't let me go, Dimitri…" She said between kisses, their wet skin continued to slide against each other as she spoke.

"I'm not letting go," He said, taking her lower lips in his mouth as he pulled, feeling a throbbing, scalding heat beat against his trousers, "I'm never letting you go, Rose. Never."

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_REVIEW! :D tell me what you thought!_

_Thank you for Valerie :)_

_There are some banners, including what Dimitri's rosary look like, so check those out! :D_

_xoxox_


	16. Chapter 16

******The character names of Vampire Academy are soley owned by Richelle Mead. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this are owned by AlKerr.**

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_Ah! Sorrrryyyy :O It's been like what?... 10 ten days? My apologies...please accept them:) Anyway, please excuse any mistakes in this chapter as I decided to just publish it unedited due to the long wait. My wonderful beta hasn't even seen this yet, and she'll probably kill me for some of the mistakes in this...but I couldn't have you guys waiting any longer :P So, let's hope Valdeh won't kill me and I can live to write another chapter :P _

_Guys! Just over 700 reviews- you treat me too well, honestly, but thank you! One of my reviewers who I want to thank is Sarah *loves horses* :P Hey, Sarah, thank you for your suggestions and I'll definitely keep them in mind. Your review made me laugh and smile haha! I wish you had an account so I could thank you properly, but I just want it noted that you're great. thank you:)_

_Read and review please! loveyou guys xo _

**Chapter songs-**

_**Headstrong-Trapt_

_**Resistance- Muse (Dimitri and Rose...)_

_**Wake me up when September ends- Green day_

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**Chapter sixteen- **Abused and Bruised...

**"Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be. "~Thomas Kempis**

_**Dimitri…**_

The sound of the loud pelting rain continued to breeze through the busy room as Dimitri waited impatiently in his seat. Eric Dragomir stood before the large table, filled with the men of the Californian union, as he paced the room relaying the tasks that needed to be completed successfully that week. Ibrahim stood still next to him, his arms folded and his dark, opaque eyes were narrowed as a smirk lifted on his lips, watching his herd of men. His pressed suit rode up a little from the hem as his arms were folded in the stiff attire.

Eric stopped and stood before the table, his dark green eyes fell upon the clattering mass of papers that glittered across the large, round object. Sitting around the circular, mahogany surface, Dimitri tried to pay attention to what his bosses were discussing, but his mind kept flicking back to the night before with Rose, and how he had finally admitted to how he really felt— there finally was no restrictions.

"Okay, so we've established that Blake Lazar will be receiving the cargo, and helping with the next step…" Dimitri looked at his friend Blake who glared at Eric darkly, a twisted smirk on his lips, "We know that… this union isn't exactly a safe haven at the minute. Betrayers seem to be a popular thing in this business, and so we cannot take the chance of losing our shipments. Three men will meet up with Blake, and one of those men will take the cargo. Lazar, along with the three men whom I have chosen, will split up in case of any followers—confuse the chasers. Make sure that they do not know which way the shipment has been taken, who has taken it and what that man plans to do with it. Once you get rid of the chasers—and I assure you, there _will_ be chasers—meet up at the address that I will have enclosed in this envelope." Dimitri's eyes fell to the four manila envelopes that Eric held tightly in his right hand. "Only then, the chosen men will know what events will take place next."

Dimitri's head looked around the room and glanced at the men surrounding the table, the harsh lights flashing against their sweaty faces—fear and excitement in their eyes. The union had weekly updates, but there was always a hope that a great job would be laid out for the men, and today was the day—granted, only four men would be chosen.

Ibrahim stepped forward and took the smooth, large envelopes out of his collaborator's hands, looking at the thick objects as he did so. His eyes lifted to look at his men, who stared back in terror. "For those who will be chosen for this task should know that they are the best that this union has to offer. Complete trust has been put into your hands." He warned, as he started to walk around the table. Dimitri could see the darkness falling from the window, although it was only five in the afternoon. The sound of the lashing rain continued to smack against the windows, the thick glass covered in condensation. "We will know for definite whether it is Victor who is betraying us, once we see the content of the shipment—the men will receive a leather bound briefcase with a brass handle and a lock with codes. Inside the case will be a black leather writing folio which will contain the next steps of the process. You will also find four _compact semi-automatic Smith & Wensson 45 ACP chiefs special_ handguns, the model of CS45. You will each take one, and do it inconspicuously. After you receive the guns, proceed in confusing the chasers before going to the safe house—there and only there, can you read the content of the writing folio and continue with the next stage of the task."

Dimitri heard the sound of a throat clearing before a familiar voice spoke up, "And when will we find out who has been chosen for this task, sir?" Eddie asked, leaning back into his chair as he stared at his step-father. "I mean, if this is taking place the day after the business gala, wouldn't we need to find out now? The gala's only in two days, sir."

Abe looked at his son before he placed the four envelopes down, setting one before Blake who immediately snatched it up. "The decision was incredibly easy to make, and I am completely positive that all of you know who Eric and I have mutually agreed to use—Blake Lazar, Edison Mazur, Andre Dragomir and Dimitri Belikov will be the men completing this task." He said, as though he were answering a group question, and not his step-son.

Ibrahim reached across the table and placed a brown manila envelope before Dimitri, watching as his hands lifted to touch the smooth waxed surface. Dimitri couldn't muster a response to his boss's question, so he nodded, knowing perfectly well that Abe and Eric had noticed his gesture. After his boss had given each chosen man the enclosed information, Dimitri looked back up to see that Abe still held onto one envelope. He looked around the table carefully with his eyes, to see who hadn't received the information. His curious eyes picked up on the fact that Andre Dragomir wasn't present—a fact that Dimitri was thankful for. He still hadn't forgiven the bastard for what he had done to his girlfriend— _Girlfriend_. God, he couldn't stop thinking about how amazing that felt to say.

"On to the update of the gala," Abe said, sitting down on the corner of a large desk that was available for all to see, "It will be held in the Dragomir mansion at eight pm. If it is not too much of a challenge for you fools, you are required to attend with a woman. I do not want attention drawn to twenty men standing alone in a social gathering—seeing that will most certainly gain the interest of Victor Dashkov, who will be attending along with a few other important union owners and families. Bring dates. I do not want to hear about your many reasons for wishing to keep your loved ones out of this business—I do not care. Pick up one of the unions prostitutes, or get help from Belikov—he seems to know a lot of pretty ladies you can use for the night—bring a date, and be sure to appear unfazed by Dashkov's presence."

The men that surrounded the dark table, turned their gazes to glare at Dimitri, who sat with a smug grin on his face as he leaned back in his chair. Oh, the satisfaction he would feel if one of them had to ask him for help—it was a move so desperate and pathetic, and Dimitri couldn't wait to see who his first customer was.

Eric stood before the table, "That will be all for today, men," He said, watching the guys that glanced back, "The meeting has ended."

It took within three minutes for the men to pack up their things and leave the warm meeting room, the sound of chairs scraping across wood bounced of the four walls as the loud bang of the door continuously sounded in Dimitri's ears. He remained in his seat, bending the corner of the envelope with his fingers as he watched Abe clear the large desk. Eric noticed that Dimitri sat alone at the table as he walked closer, an eyebrow lifting as he picked up a brown briefcase.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Belikov?" He asked, looking slightly suspicious at the Russian.

Dimitri pulled out his chair, the sound of wood scraping across the floor filled the silent room as his two bosses glanced at him, suspicion thick in their eyes. Once Dimitri stood his tall six foot six, he strolled towards the two shorter men, envelope in hand.

"There's something of a significance that I would like to show Mr. Mazur." He said, burrowing a hand into the deep pocket of his leather jacket. His searching fingers grazed the rumpled paper, and his hands immediately clamped around the white, crumpled page. He tore it out of his pocket and smoothed the paper out, deep creases sliced through the words like sick, twisted scars. "This was stuck to Rose's wardrobe when she woke up this morning."

Dimitri swallowed the clump of fear that lodged in his throat as he placed the paper in his boss's tight-skinned hand. He had read the message over and over again, and yet he couldn't fathom why someone would do this. Whoever had written the note, had obviously broken into the apartment and had stuck the paper to his girlfriend's closet—knowing that he was home and that someone could have potentially hurt Rose, crushed him, squashed him like a bug. If she had of been hurt, it would have been his fault because he hadn't protect her.

As Ibrahim's eyes skimmed the paper, Dimitri re-read the message from his memory: _How does it feel to live a lie, Mazur? They're all lying to you. Just ask your father…your boyfriend. Ask them are they aware of the definition to be truthful. You want to know the truth? To finally have someone reveal something other than lies? Meet me tonight at twelve by the downtown warehouses. I won't lie to you, Mazur. I wouldn't ever lie. _

Abe's eyes lifted to look at Dimitri, a deep crease sliced through the meaty flesh between his two eyebrows as his mouth furrowed into a feral frown. "Is this a game, Belikov?" He growled, tearing the paper into shreds as he threw it in the bin, "You think messing with my daughter is funny, do you?"

Dimitri was taken back, "Wh-hat?" He asked, taking a surprised, instinctual step closer to his boss, "I would never mess with Rose! This was tacked to her closet door when she woke up this morning."

"You expect me to believe that someone crept into a house filled with teenagers, opened my daughters bedroom door and stuck a note to her closet and left without harming anyone?" Abe asked, amusement in his voice, "I have more reason to believe that you would mess with my daughter because of some puerile grudge that you hold against the union. I will let this go Belikov; next time you decide to press juvenile matters on me, make sure that it is worth my while."

"Sir," Dimitri growled through the anger that clouded his mind, "This is not a game. I…I think Rose is in serious trouble."

Eric cleared his throat and folded his arms, his green eyes observing the exchange between the Russian and the Turk. Abe watched Dimitri closely, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the young boys face, looking for any indication that his protests were dishonest. After speculation, Abe cleared his throat and looked at Eric, who nodded in response.

"What do you suggest we do with this…information, Belikov?" Abe asked, authority rang in his voice, but laced through every authoritarian syllable, a deeply disguised tint of concern was found.

Dimitri ripped his hands from his pockets and pointed towards the bin where the note lay in tatters, "We go meet this person," Dimitri suggested, "He'll be waiting for her in your downtown warehouses—if saving your daughter isn't enough, think about the fact that this guy could be the one fucking with your deals. With the shipments. I'm sure you wouldn't let that pass, would you?"

Dimitri met Abe's dark narrowed eyes as the two men stared at each other, and although one stood far above the other, the smaller of the two might as well have been twelve foot higher with the tyrannical air he had about him. Abe's head tilted forward a little as he cleared his throat, his unyielding eyes stayed connected with Dimitri's as his tanned hands straightened the front of his suit jacket, although there wasn't a single crease.

"Are you coming with me to meet this guy, or not?" Dimitri asked, breaking through the tense silence. The thick, professional air around them weighed heavily on Dimitri as he waited for his boss's answer; each tick of the clock added another block of panic to Dimitri's already wonky, high tower of anticipation.

"If…I may add my thoughts," Eric said, his words tearing through the thick walls of silence, "We have a lot planned Ibrahim, with the gala in no more than two days and one of our 'arms' trafficker coming in tomorrow. Not to mention Spiridon will be attending tonight's dinner, to hand over those papers for the extortion process taking place in three weeks time. There is no time to weigh ourselves down on a foolish note that could have been a ridiculous prank, or some over-possessive boy adamant in your daughter's admiration."

"You don't understand," Dimitri growled, "This has been going on for _months_. Something should have been done sooner, and only now have we gotten a direction that we can turn to. This opportunity may never rise again, and you want to blow that to sit down with an asshole called _Spiridon_? What kind of name is that?"

"His idiotic name is irrelevant, Mr. Belikov," Eric said, stepping forward to glare at Dimitri, "Rosemarie remained unharmed and this 'messenger' doesn't seem very threatening. Keep her under surveillance tonight to make sure she doesn't decide to take any midnight trips, and everything should be okay. Don't come to us with your futile worries—they don't concern us."

Dimitri's eyes fell on Abe who looked deep in thought; his lips were in a tight straight line as he fiddled with the silver cufflink of his suit. His gelled hair was neat as always, and although his exterior relayed that he was composed, sure of himself, Dimitri knew that all it took was a glance in his eyes to know that his interior was ripped to shreds in chaotic emotions.

"Eric is right," He said, dropping his arm as he glared at Dimitri, his eyes back to the pit-less black, "There's a badger game taking place right at this moment, I don't have the time or interest to become involved in these forlorn suspicions. Don't waste my time, Belikov."

Dimitri shuddered at the fact that not only was Abe taking place in a badger game, which meant that he picked a rich or valuable man, most likely a married one, and placed him in compromising position to make him vulnerable to blackmail—but that he was giving up on his daughter, possibly her life, so he could destroy and blackmail a stranger. He lifted his hands as his mouth opened, almost daring himself to protest. After nothing left his lips, his hands dropped, the sound of a slap sounded through the room as it collided with his thigh in dejection.

"We have to take a date to that… gala thing, right?" Dimitri asked; annoyance thick in his words. Abe and Eric may not give two shits about Rose's wellbeing but Dimitri did. Even if he got himself cut into pieces and cooked in a pie, he wouldn't care—as long as she was safe. "I'm going to take Rose."

Abe glared at Dimitri, and if looks could kill Dimitri would have fell to the floor with a thud that shook the room—the glare was cold and quite frankly, scary. "I don't think you will." He said, looking at his blonde haired friend, "Could you excuse us, Eric. I wish to speak to Belikov alone, for a moment."

Eric's green eyes snapped to Dimitri, who stood tall and confident in front of his bosses, and nodded his head before leaving the teenager alone in the room with a murderer. The sound of a door quietly shutting clicked through the closed space, and the only noise filling the room prior to it, was the sound of Abe's heavy breathing as he glared at Dimitri. "I have asked you this question before, and you denied having any intentions with my daughter. I'm going to ask again—what do you want with Rosemarie?"

"I want to take her to the gala as my date." Dimitri said truthfully, "You can only keep this from her for so long. Wouldn't it be easier to tell her, for everyone?"

"For everyone?" Abe chuckled, "Don't you mean for you, boy? Is there another who would benefit from it, other than you? Rosemarie? This revelation would break her, and you may think that you somehow owe her something, but you bring her into this world and she will never leave. The only true freedom is death, my boy and I won't have that for my daughter. I was born into this life, but I will not have the same for her. Rosemarie will not be finding out about your occupation, my union or anything to do with this world, Belikov. Not unless you want the rest of your family to end up exactly like your pathetic father."

The truth shattered Dimitri's insides, like a thousand glasses colliding with a concrete floor. He should have known Abe's answer, should have known that things couldn't be as easy as he had thought. One side of him, like Abe had said, wanted to keep Rose in the dark and protect her…even though she deserved to know the truth. But another side yelled and screamed at him that if he didn't tell her, the relationship was destroyed…but she would be safe. If loving her meant killing her…was his love worth it?

"So, what if she starts to suspect something?" Dimitri asked, "What am I going to do, lie to her?"

"That is not my problem, Belikov," Abe growled harshly, "My first wife divorced me because of the lies I had to tell to protect her, and although the relationship withered, my wife remained safe—stop whatever this is you have with my daughter, for her own good. Don't keep this up when ultimately it will end badly. I may not be the most perfect of fathers, but you hurt my little girl and I will maim you, Belikov, you understand that?"

Pain thumped through Dimitri, he knew his boss was right. Who wanted damaged goods with potential to poison you, when fresh, clean, pure goods were out there somewhere? "Yes Sir, I understand." He choked through his pain. He looked at Abe who stared right back. Dimitri distracted himself from exploding by counting the brown stripes of the wallpaper behind Abe's head, as he continued to speculate the situation. His boss continued to look at him, and somehow he felt as though Abe didn't believe a word that left his mouth.

Abe stood tall before him and met his eyes, a disgusting smirk lifted on his lips, "Are you aware of the methods used in Chinese Water Torture, Belikov?" Abe asked, watching as Dimitri shook his head, indicating that he did not, "A victim is tied to a chair in a room with nothing but a water bucket hanging over his head. Water slowly drips from the bucket onto the person's forehead none stop for months, allegedly sending him insane. Can you imagine that Belikov? Trapped in a room, never finding your way out and the only thing to occupy your attention is the constant drip of water sliding down your forehead. Every second of every day. Drip… Drip… Drip. It happens for such a long period of time that it eventually drives you insane, leading you into mental retardation. Could you imagine that, boy? Imagine the water, slowly trickling onto your forehead. Imagine the pain."

Dimitri's fists clenched as he glared at the older man, anger thumped through his veins, "The point was driven home with your first threat, Abe. No need to go all prima donna on me."

"Good…" He said quietly, "Then you will not mind when I suggest that you leave Rosemarie alone. For her own good, of course. I will not risk my daughter's life, because you have a little crush—you can get over it." Abe's eyes flicked quickly towards the bin before he snapped his attention back to Dimitri. "You will stay away from those warehouses tonight, and you will keep Rosemarie from going too—I feel a slight weariness towards those notes and I require that someone whom is trusted to keep a tight eye on her. Just your eyes, Belikov. If I find out any other part of your body has touched my daughter from this talk onwards, I will not hesitate to disembowel every member of your family."

"But Sir—!"

"No, that is enough Belikov," He growled, "Take a different date to the gala, drop all ties that go beyond friendship with my daughter and keep our secrets to yourself or I'll have every bone of your body snapped in two." He walked towards the door and opened it, stopping as he pressed a hand to chin. He turned around and smirked at Dimitri. "Same applies for your family—now, go home. The next time we meet, hopefully you will have it branded into your head that in this profession… there is no such thing as love."

**XoX**

_**Rose…**_

I sat on the cold leather couch, an afghan wrapped tightly around my shoulders as I blew away at a steaming mug of hot chocolate, thinking about how someone 'up there' seriously had one in for me. It were as though my life had changed with a flick of a switch, ripping from me a life of light, to an oblivion of darkness—only the night before had I been so happy, wrapped in my boyfriend's arms as we kissed in the rain…and now, I could barely open my eyes without cringing at the sight of a shadow in the corner of my eye. Mostly, I thought myself foolish. I shouldn't have thought for one second that everything would work out perfectly—that wasn't how the life of Rose Hathaway worked.

My toes grazed the soft fluff of the artificial cotton rug on the floor, as I swung my leg side to side, my mind deep in thought. Through the thick haze of my heavy contemplation, I could see Tasha watched me carefully as she blew at her own mug of chocolate—I wasn't particularly thrilled that my friends decided I was too fragile to do anything with function, like I was a new born child, incapable of providing for ones self. It was bullshit. I didn't like how slow things seemed, like my friends were walking on eggshells around me—afraid to make any sudden movements in case I exploded into a firework of seizures. Like I had said; it was bullshit. I didn't need to be treated like a child, just like Tasha didn't need to be—the note had been left in the room whilst she was there too, after all.

"When's Dimitri coming home?" I asked Christian, my voice slicing through the silence. His gorgeous blue eyes looked at me before he dropped the morning paper he had been reading, folding it as he placed it on the coffee table.

"He said he needed to run some errands for his dad, so…I'm not sure how long that'll take," He said, leaning back into the chair as he continued to watch me. "Didn't he tell you where he was going?"

I shook my head. "No, he was gone before I had a chance to say goodbye…"

"Surprise, surprise…" Tasha muttered under her breathe as she scratched her tattooed leg, which peaked out a cute pair of grey tracks.

"Would you let it drop already?" I growled, pressing a hand to my forehead as I groaned. I placed my hot chocolate down on a coaster that sat on the telephone table next to my head, "I said I was sorry for keeping the relationship a secret! You know, it took you a while to tell _me_ about Sonya."

Tasha's eyes, although shockingly blue, possessed the same fiery heat as fire as she glared at me, "You know what happened between Sonya and me is completely different to this situation, Cupcake. I wanted to tell you, that's the difference."

I removed the afghan from my shoulders, throwing it at the end of the couch in rage, "I wasn't ready to tell anyone, you're making a big deal out of nothing!"

Christian groaned in the corner as he pressed a hand to his eyes, his head tilted forward. I knew this annoyed him just as much as it annoyed me, but I wasn't willing to apologize again for something I already said sorry for a thousand times! I wasn't going to allow myself to feel guilty over keeping the relationship a secret, because I was willing to do anything to keep the relationship alive—if that meant telling lies to my best friend for a little while, then so be it. I found it exceedingly laughable that she was guilty of the very same crime, yet she deemed it as a completely different story. I had a good mind to slap some sense into her idiotic head.

"I thought you could trust me!"

"It had nothing to do with trust," I snapped, "It was to do with the fact that we didn't want labels. We didn't want people putting unnecessary pressure on our shoulders to do things that we weren't ready to do."

My friend opened her mouth to reply, her hands clenching as she leaned forward when four loud knocks vibrated from the door. I made no motion to look towards the direction of the boisterous bangs, but within seconds, with a loud groan, Tasha stood up and sauntered towards the door, not hesitating to snap a sarcastic remark my way.

"Are you sure you trust me to answer this door, Cupcake?" She sarcastically quipped, "I mean, I might put labels on the poor visitor. Maybe I'll label him as a stalker, or a kidnapper…no—wait! I know! A raging murderer looking for his next victims! Who knows? I mean it could be someone who actually _trusts_ me."

"For the love of God, you fucking drama queen!" Christian barked from his seat, "Answer the God damned door before I beat you against it."

Tasha glared at her twin through narrow eyes as another bout of blaring knocks banged against the thin wood of the door. She spun around and shouted, "Alright, alright! Hang on, you impatient asshole!" Her footsteps matched the sound of stampeding elephants as she stormed towards the door, swinging it open with a violent tug. I played with a loose thread of my pyjamas, waiting for the visitor to speak.

I did not expect Tasha to burst into a fit of laughter. It wasn't the laughs of someone whom was happy, excited or joyful; it was the sound of disbelief and anger, like if she didn't stop laughing she would cause a world of pain. This, if anything, brought my attention to the door. As my eyes fell to the familiar form, my stomach swelled with the upcoming surge of sickness, and my head swirled in the whirlpool of chaotic memories.

"Andre?" I choked through the smog of emotions clouding my head and mind.

Andre Dragomir's green eyes lifted to look at me as he stood awkwardly at the door frame. Tasha watched him carefully, and I noticed that her hands had clenched into tights fists, her nails cutting into the meaty flesh of her palms.

"I'm giving you two seconds to walk away from this door before I kick you so hard in the balls, you'll be choking on them for weeks," My friend growled taking a step closer. I wasn't surprised in the least when Andre took a step back, as fear rolled through his body. Christian had already stood up, and had flanked his twin, the two Ozera's looked terrifying as they stood tall, blocking the doorway. I remained seated, a wreck of divergent emotions rippled through my body as I tried to stand.

"I ah, just—I wanted to talk to Rose, for…just for a second…if that's alright." Andre stuttered trying to look at me through the two tall twins. I wasn't prepared to let them defend me, so I stood, ignoring the feelings that I felt as they pricked tears into my eyes. These weren't tears of sadness and devastation, but tears of anger so intense that it burned my eyes.

"Move out of the way." I growled; stepping forward as I gradually grew closer to the door. Tasha and Christian simultaneously turned around, their identical eyes narrowing at me in confusion.

"Are you crazy, Rose?" Christian asked urgently, "You don't have to speak with him, go into your room or something. We can sort this out."

"I'm not a child, Chris!" I snapped, as I continued to walk forward, "Leave me alone with Andre."

"So we can let him rape you?" Tasha snapped, turning her body sideways so that she could see both Andre and me. I winced at her direct words. "Fat chance, I'm not letting him get near you."

I stood before the door and looked at Andre, who stood far away from Christian and Tasha, a thick emotion obvious in his expressions. He had dark purple bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in weeks and his nose was slightly wonky, were Dimitri had severely punched him, resulting in the bone to snap. I relished in the fact that he still wore a cast on his arm, indicating that it was still broken. He couldn't hurt me, with the amount of injuries he sported—plus, I was willing to bet that I could kick his ass, now that I was perfectly conscious.

"Leave us alone," I said, turning to look at my two friends, "You don't have to worry about me. He won't touch me, and if he does…I'll shout for you, okay?"

I could see the turmoil that played in Tasha's eyes as she literally squirmed in the spot, making the decision. After her brother placed a hand on her shoulder, she seemed to relax and the decision came much easier to make, though I could still see it caused her pain to accept it, "Fine." She growled, "But we're going to be on the other side of that door," She pointed towards the bedroom that we shared, "We'll be listening."

Tasha made her way to the bedroom, running a hand through her hair as she closed the door. I could feel the reluctance and annoyance she felt at leaving me behind, but my thoughts were completely distracted when I noticed that Christian still stood next to me, as he glared at Andre.

"Christian," I motioned, tilting my head towards my bedroom door, "It's okay, you can go."

A shuttering breath left my friend as he looked at me carefully, rage in his eyes. "You can thank yourself lucky that Dimitri isn't here, you little prick," Christian growled at Andre, "He wouldn't be giving you the mercy that I am…but believe me, you even so much as _look_ at her the wrong way, and I'll fucking kill you. You got that?"

Andre's unbroken hand snaked into his pocket, the woven fabric of his denim jeans hiding his hand that could, in the eyes of Christian, potentially hurt me. The blonde haired man nodded, his eyes snapping to me as Christian watched him for a few seconds. After a few heavily intense moments, my friend finally left us alone as he walked into my bedroom.

All was silent. I couldn't muster up the words I wanted to, and Andre was too afraid to speak. Why was he here? I knew that he had only been released from the hospital, but if I were ever forsaken enough to find myself in his shoes, I'd like to think that I would give the girl I almost raped some space. Obviously he was too oblivious to understand that—he probably had no idea that Dimitri had moved in, and I was willing to bet that when my boyfriend found out, he wouldn't be too happy. Seeing the blonde haired man here, brought a rush of overwhelming emotions—I remembered feeling helpless, defenceless and weak. How the hell could I have let him take advantage of me like that?

"What are you doing here, Andre?" I asked, opening the door to allow him into my apartment. Exhaustion literally oozed from my body, my anger absorbed any energy that I had left and I felt like I was going to be sick. The fact that Andre stood before me, played a great factor in my urge to barf.

His green eyes, looking soft and full of emotion, close momentarily as he breathed heavily. I closed the door and allowed him to think as I walked towards the kitchen, "Can I get you anything to drink?" I asked, walking towards the refrigerator, "I'm afraid I don't have any roofies available though—pity, I know how you like messed up drinks. I hate to disappoint, but I like my men conscious when I _rape_ them." I spat, mustering as much sarcasm as I could into my words. Venom could have rolled off my tongue with the poisonous words I spat.

Andre bowed his head; his undamaged hand was still deeply burrowed into the pocket of his designer jeans as he breathed heavily, "I have..." He cleared his throat through the conflicting emotions surging through his heart, "I know that there's…I…I'm sorry, Rose. I know that I don't even deserve to see you again, much less ask for your forgiveness…but I'm so sorry. I'll never be able to make it up to you, or to forgive myself for what I done."

I stayed quiet for a while as I folded my arms, leaning against the counters as I watched him squirm under my gaze, "I'm guessing that there is a mile long list of excuses that you're ready to throw my way, huh?"

"No—No! I'm not making excuses," He choked, taking a step forward, causing my stomach to contract as I readied my body to defend myself, if need be, "What I done was…sick. Perverted. Yeah, I was drunk and I was going through some tough shit with my Dad and his…business…but that was no excuse to… do that to you Rose. You didn't deserve it."

I watched him, how his green eyes met mine so surely, guilt swam in the windows of his soul, "So what are you asking that I do? Forget all of this ever happened?" I snapped, "Because that'll never happen, Andre. I'll never forgive and I most certainly will never forget what you did to me that night."

He looked away from me, his feet shifted under his body as he bit his lip, his eyes swarming with tears, "Haven't you ever made a mistake—done something that'll haunt you for the rest of your life?" He painfully asked, and immediately my mind was brought to images of Robert Doru, his blood spilling from his stomach as my knife left his gut, "I'm not asking for us to get back together, I…I still care for you Rose. More than I'd like to admit to anyone else… but, I'm not asking for a relationship—I'm asking for your forgiveness."

Silence fell upon us, and I could hear the sound of Tasha and Christian bickering in the other room as I lifted a hand and ran it through my hair, "Why are you doing this, Andre?" I asked with the pain evident in my words, "You shouldn't have come here."

"Please, Rose," He begged, "How the hell can I forgive myself, when you can't forgive me?"

"I don't fucking care, Andre!" I yelled, taking a step forward as rage brewed in my heart, "What did you expect to happen? That I would forgive you and then we'd hug it all out like nothing ever happened! You can sit here, and mope about how unfair this all is on you, but don't come into my home and ask for forgiveness. Don't do that."

He lifted a trembling hand and ran it through his hair as a shaky breath shattered through his lips, he shifted from where he stood and continued to squirm and look around him as if he couldn't believe the situation he had thrown himself into.

"I want you to leave, Andre," I said, my eyes sparkled with tears as one single drop slid down my cheek as I blinked, "Before Dimitri comes back."

Silence filled the room once again, but was quickly interrupted as shockingly familiar voice cut through the quiet room, "That might have been effective five minutes ago," Dimitri growled from the door way. My eyes snapped to look at him, his glare deadly…cold. My spine rippled and my toes curled as I looked at him, "I think it's a bit too late now."

Contemplating the situation was futile through the fog of complex thoughts that filled my mind; all I could do was scream as Dimitri strode across the room and gripped Andre by the throat. He lifted him off the floor, as the smaller man kicked the in air, his hands clawing at the fingers that clenched tightly around his pale, delicate neck. An incoherent bout of sputters escaped Andre's mouth, and his once white face turned a devastating red. One look at Dimitri, and my insides turned cold. His teeth were clenched and his eyes hooded as he darkly glared, the skin covering his knuckles stretched across the hard bone and turned shocking white. It had been said that the window to the soul was found in the eyes, and at that moment, through the thick opaque darkness of Dimitri's pupils and irises, his soul seemed merciless and full of hatred so terrifying that it flogged my throat with fear.

"Dimitri," I choked, hesitantly walking over to him with my arms stretched out calmly, as if coaxing a mad animal. I vaguely noticed the sound of Tasha's excited squeals as she left the room to see the commotion, "Dimitri, let him go."

The tall man before me held the power of a large beast as he ran towards the kitchen wall, a roar of anger escaping his lips as he crashed Andre into the hard surface. A spluttered cry screeched through Andre's lips as they coated with the saliva that spilled from his open mouth. His face, once pale and then red, was turning a horrible purple as Dimitri tightened his grip, pulling the Dragomir back a little, just to crash his head into the wall once again.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, you perverted little creep?" Dimitri asked; bringing his face closer to Andre's as he continued to claw at my boyfriends hands. His legs kicked so much as they twitched, almost as though there were vibrating. "If I found out that you so much as touched her, I'm—"

"Dimitri, will you stop!" I protested, battering my small hands against his rock hard arm. It barely seemed to faze him, until I lifted my foot and kicked him hard at the back of the knee, "You're going to kill him, put him down!"

I could see how much it took Dimitri to let go as he dropped Andre, letting the blonde haired man fall to the floor like a ball of jelly. A spray of saliva exploded from the Dragomirs mouth violently as he coughed, his hands making way to his red throat as he tried to breathe. It was a sick and demented thing that I wanted to run over and comfort him, but I couldn't stomach putting my thoughts into action—the contemplation of even touching him again, made me sick.

Dimitri bent over the counter, his long hair fell over his face like a curtain as his back rose and fell in panting breaths. His head tilted upwards so that his brown, turned black, eyes met mine. The tendons in his neck tightened and became visible as he stood tall, containing the urge to kill the Dragomir who panted for breath alone in the corner. I noticed how his eyes flicked to me for no more than a second, as if he were afraid to look at my face. As if he were avoiding me.

"Well…" Tasha said, sauntering into the kitchen, immediately popping the dark, heavy atmosphere that hovered around them ominously, "I think you have out-welcomed your stay, Mr. Dragomir," She said mockingly, a falsely sweet smile on her pale face, "So if you don't mind, get the fucking hell out of my house, and try not to trip over your dignity on the way out. Okay? Bye-bye."

Andre scrambled to his feet, his trembling fingers held onto his raw neck as he tried to stand straight, his lips coated in saliva as he sputtered, still regaining his breath. "My father will hear of this, Belikov," He choked, rubbing his neck as he took a few steps back, knocking into the tables and wall on his way out the door, "And Mazur will too!"

Surprise rolled through me at the sound of my father's name, and I barely noticed when Andre scurried out the door, fear written on his face as he escaped. I didn't see how my father was relevant in all this business, as far as I was concerned, Abe had nothing to do with me—why the hell would any of this concern him? Why would Abe even _care_ enough to listen to Andre?

"God, that guy gives me the creeps," Tasha said, giving a fake shiver as she glanced at the open door. Christian, who had been silently watching, walked towards the direction that Andre had just left and closed the door shut. "What did he want?" She asked me curiously.

I ran a hand through my hair and shook my head at my friend, suddenly feeling a cold breeze caress my arms as chills overtook my body, "Nothing," I lied, walking towards Dimitri. The cold tiles of the kitchen floor teased my feet as I patted closer to him. His body was rigid and tight, I didn't think he could have tensed more than he already was, but as soon as my hand made contact with the bare skin of his arms, slightly damp with the rain; he became stiffer, and gave of an austere vibe. "Dimitri…?"

He made no movement to acknowledge me, but within a few minutes, after a bout of silence that even Tasha wouldn't break, he looked at me through eye thick with pain, "Are you okay?" He asked me, his voice raucous yet somehow weak.

I nodded my head and reached out to touch him, trying my best to ignore the fact that he moved away from my reaching fingers. I dropped my hand, resting it on the cold surface of the Kitchen Island as I continued to watch him. A few moments passed, and I still hadn't spoken the words that haunted my mind but I was determined to find the answer, "Why did Andre threaten to tell my father?"

The tall man before me stood to his full height, a variegated bout of emotions played on his face, frustration being the most dominant. I could feel Tasha and Christian behind me, their presence buzzed through the heavy, thick air that clouded around us, the tension obvious and suffocating.

I prudently chose to ignore the sound of the twins scurrying out of the room, as they lucidly wanted to give Dimitri and me some space—I didn't want to argue with Dimitri, not after things had become so well for us, but both of our nerve endings electrified in paranoia and we were on a tight edge. It was crazy to think that in a few hours time, I would be confronting the person who had been sending these asinine notes—presuming that Dimitri was assisting me, of course—not even I was that stupid to believe I could take this 'messenger' on alone. It could have been more than one person, it could have been many people, loaded with the weapons that I didn't have; I couldn't go alone.

"Dimitri?" I asked; my voice cut through the quiet, empty room as I watched him carefully, "What's Abe going to do with you?"

An irritated groan escaped Dimitri as he folded his arms; his slightly wet hair fell in clumped strands around his face as his dark eyes glared at me. I knew without indication that something serious was playing on his mind. "Your father… he isn't going to do anything to me."

"Why did Andre mention him?" I asked; confusion pulsed through me as I tried to make sense of everything—what was the connection between Andre, Abe and Dimitri? Abe and Andre knew each other through Eric Dragomir, who was a close friend of my fathers, but where did Dimitri fit into this equation? I knew that he hated my father for a reason that I had not yet heard, but at that moment, I was strangely curious. "Has…does Abe _have_ something on you?"

"What? Wh—No! No, he doesn't have something on me," Dimitri protested, refusing to meet my eyes, "You're asking the wrong man here, Rose—how about you ask Andre, considering how you two are now friends again."

I choked on the revulsion that lurked in my body, "Friends? I'm not his friend, and he definitely isn't mine," I said, taking a step closer to him. I was actually surprised to see that his foot moved back the tiniest little bit, as if he didn't want me any closer…so I stopped. "What? You think that because I wouldn't let you _kill_ him, that we're somehow friends?"

"I wasn't going to kill him," He said in frustration, "Severely bruise his oesophagus, yes, but not kill."

I rolled my eyes and pressed a hand to my forehead as I ignored the sound of Dimitri's heavy breathing, as adrenaline proceeded to thump through his body. I took a moment to fully comprehend the events taking place, and somehow, something wasn't adding up. I trusted Dimitri with everything I had, and I didn't want to believe that he was being dishonest…but I did. Dimitri wasn't telling the truth.

I cleared my throat, "You know that I'm not one of those possessive girlfriends who, figuratively speaking, chain their boyfriends down because they don't trust them. I don't want to feel like I can't believe a word you say, but seriously Dimitri, cliché as it may sound, this relationship is built on mutual trust…and right now, I don't feel like you're being completely honest to me."

Dimitri scoffed, "What reason would I have to be dishonest, Rose?" He said, _still_ refusing to meet my eyes, "Andre's threat isn't something you have to worry about."

"Cleary it is, seeing as it involves my boyfriend and my father!" I said, taking another step forward, Dimitri's folded arms tightened and I noticed how his jaw clenched as I drew closer. "Did Abe threaten you, or something? Wh-what did he do? Did he tell you to stay away from me?"

"Just drop it." Dimitri growled, finally lifting his head to look at me, "I mean it Rose, I don't want to talk about this."

"You don't want to talk about it with me? Or at all?"

"I don't want to talk about it with you, I don't wanna talk about it with Christian and I don't want to talk about it with Tasha," He said, taking a step forward. I let myself believe that he moved closer to me, to touch me, or be near to me, but he didn't stop once we almost touched. He continued walking in the direction of the door. "I don't want to fucking talk, Rose. Just leave it alone."

"Where are you going?" I asked, not able to help the whiney quality of my voice. God, I wanted to rip the annoyance my words brought away from him, because I knew it seriously pissed him off. What had I done? I didn't mean to sound like a possessive bitch. The loud boisterous roars of the pelting rain continued to lash against the windows as Dimitri grabbed his jacket, hanging on a coat hanger by the door.

"To get some space," Dimitri replied, "I have much better things to do with my time, then sit here listening to this."

"Like what, exactly?" I growled angrily, making way towards the door, "This argument is pointless! It all started because you couldn't control your anger!"

"Well, maybe it's just that I'm a little less trusting that you are," He spat angrily, shovelling his arms through the leather sleeves of his jacket, "_Maybe_, I'm not willing to allow that creep into our home. You—fuck! You just trust all the wrong people, Rose!"

"What? You mean people like you?"

"Exactly—people like me." He growled; pain and a hint of regret iced his words as he stood before the door, "Don't follow me, I won't be back until …. Until later—don't even think about going down to those warehouses, Rose. Not without me."

He turned his back and stormed out of the apartment, completely unaware of the pain lurking in my heart, the tears that coated my brown eyes and the finger I held up as I flipped him off.

**XoX**

_**Dimitri…**_

He could do this. He could…he could—what the hell did he know? Of course he couldn't do this. This was Rose. He couldn't just pretend like he didn't want to be with her, pretend that her presence meant nothing to him. As he ran out of the sheltered warmth of the apartment lobby, water fell harshly from the sky. He gripped his hair and leaned against the cold wall outside the block of apartments. Instantly he was soaked as his hair stuck to his fingers and his temples—through the thick blanket of rain, he prayed he would see Andre—someone he could take his anger out on.

He didn't know where he was going, but he stormed over to his motorbike and sat on the seat, soaking his trousers immediately; not that he noticed. His shaking hands clamped onto the handles as he sat there, letting the rain shower him, masking him from sight. He looked up, the water falling from the sky hung from his lashes, as the drops fell into his open eyes, but he didn't care—he just kept staring as he tried to see the windows of his apartment, hoping that maybe Rose could see him. The rain fell from his nose and chin, the drops falling into his mouth and the grey t-shirt that he wore under his jacket. What had he done?

At that moment he had never hated Abe more. Not when he had paralyzed his father, not when the Turk drove the knife deep into his body, not when his boss beat him—he hated Abe more now than he ever had before, because of all the things Dimitri was forced to do, this was the hardest thing of all. He could raid repositories without question, pull a trigger of a gun at someone's head without second thought, and beat the crap out of anyone without stopping to think … but this? It filled his mind and quite frankly, made him sick.

He could barely see through the pelts of lashing rain, but finally he found the ignition as he lodged the key harshly into the hole, feeling the angry roar of his bike underneath him. With almost animalistic anger, he revved out of the street as he exploded—he rode so fast that he could have missed the falling drops of rain. It was careless and stupid; he didn't care that he could potentially end up killing himself, especially since his hair stuck to his head with the falling water, indication that he wore no helmet. Stupid. Like Abe had said, the only way to escape the life he lived was death—what was the point? He couldn't find anything worth living for anymore. He didn't want to be weak, didn't want to succumb to Abe, but the asshole had taken _everything_. Dimitri couldn't see his family, except his father who Dimitri would have wanted dead, he couldn't have a job, he had to lie every single day, he had no freedom, had no choice, he was forced to do things against his will, kill, steal—and now he couldn't have a girl that he loved?

It was not a life worth living, and when he was forced to join after saving his father … he assumed that one day he could put his hands up and say, 'you know, it's been a good run, but I've had enough' and finally settle down … but to find out that he couldn't, devastated him. He knew he shouldn't have allowed himself to fall for Rose, he knew the complications if would have brought, but how could he not have fallen for her? She drove him insane, but he kept going back; that alone, showed that his feelings went beyond the 'little crush' that Abe had thought it was. She was crazy, and she annoyed the living hell out of him, but he loved her—to think that he hadn't told her this fact, crushed him. To think that he could never tell her made him want to die.

He continued to drive through the soaking streets; the blearing lights of passing cars shone in his eyes as he roared down the road, the anger thumping through his veins—he knew where he needed to go to calm down, to wrap his head around things. Not the bar where he would drink himself under the table, or not some street corner where he would bury his dick in some slut, but his mothers home, where he would be surrounded by the family he loved. The family he missed.

It took him half an hour to get to his mother's house, and as soon as his bike parked outside the familiar home, memories and feelings stronger than the pain and anger inside of him, took over. He knew he had missed the house in which he had grown up in, but he didn't think he had missed it _that_ much. Looking at the vines that coated the white bricked walls, and the large expanse of the double-glazed windows, all his feelings swirled inside of him, like a whirlpool of emotions. He climbed off his bike, and wiped a hand across his soaking face, clearing his vision against the onslaught of rain. He stopped at the bottom of the small steps, and although there were only three of them, Dimitri felt as though there was an infinite amount. He took another breath and placed one boot in front of the other as he proceeded to walk through the lashing rain. His hands reached out to touch the hard wood of the door as his other fingers clamped tightly around the handle, it opened with a soft click and the gusting rain soaked a little of the hallway as he walked in.

"Hello?" He heard a familiar voice say from the living room as the TV was muted, "Who's there?"

Dimitri closed the door behind him, and as he grew closer to the living room he could hear the sound of a child play, and the soft coos of a baby. A smile stretched across his face as he entered the room to see his nephew Paul, playing with a few toy cars and his baby niece Zoya sucking a bottle of milk as she sat in her mothers arms. He looked up into the warmth of his sister's eyes, causing him to smile more when a large grin spread across his mouth.

"Dimitri!" She said jumping up, Zoya still in her arms as she strolled over to him. His sister looked tired, her hair stood up in all directions and she had baby food all over her t-shirt; the life of single mother wasn't an easy one. Karolina pressed a kiss to Dimitri's cheek, but made sure to not touch his dripping wet body, "You're soaked! Don't let mom see you like that, or she'll have a heart attack."

Dimitri couldn't help but laugh, "It's inevitable that she'll see me, Karolina," He said, touching his nieces hand as the little baby wrapped her tiny fist around his finger. He kept smiling, "Where is mom?"

"At the store buying some Tylenol," She said, bouncing her baby in her arms after Dimitri had gotten his finger back, "I keep getting these headaches, being sin—Paul, what did I tell you about keeping away from the fire?"

Dimitri's eyes snapped to the fireplace to see his young nephew with a poker in his hand as he messed around with the coal covered by the flames. Dimitri laughed as Paul set down the hot poker immediately and ran into the kitchen. Karolina lifted a hand and went to follow her son when she stopped and pressed her fingers against her forehead in frustration, "He has turned into such a bratty little shit!" she said, turning around, "Every time I tell him to do something, he purposely goes out of his way to piss me off."

"He's just a kid, Karolina," Dimitri said, shrugging off his jacket. His t-shirt underneath was dry, but his hair was still soaked, "You know, you could hire a nanny or a babysitter…"

"I don't have time to look for one," She said, "Plus, I have Sonya, Viktoria, Mom and Yeva to help … I'm fine."

Dimitri nodded in acceptance, but he didn't believe his big sister was being completely truthful. "I'm going to get something to drink," He said, pointing over his shoulder to the kitchen, "Want anything?"

"Not unless we have poison," She said, picking up a pink blanket of the floor as she held onto Zoya, "Death seems like a pretty good excuse to sleep, right?"

She sat down on the couch and Dimitri smiled at her before walking into the kitchen, hoping for his sake, there was some poison for him too. He hadn't expected anyone to be there, but as he entered he caught sight of his two little sisters, Sonya and Viktoria, their faces close together as they sat on a table covered in books, obviously studying. It was beyond Dimitri why anyone would study during summer, but Sonya and Viktoria had always been like that.

"What are you two gossiping about?" He said, and to his surprise, the couple broke apart immediately and jumped up in surprise.

"Dimka!" Viktoria yelped, running over to wrap her arms tightly around her big brother. Her face burrowed into his chest as she continued to hug, "What are you doing here?"

He lifted and hand a placed it on her head, hugging her closer to him. "Just … visiting."

This seemed to be a good enough answer to her, as she released her iron hold and walked back over to the table to join Sonya, who simply smiled at him. That didn't particularly hurt him, because unlike Viktoria, Sonya seen her older brother almost every day. He smiled softly at her, and looked back towards the fridge to see if there was any bottled water or chilled poison for himself and his sister, unlucky for them, the Belikov's where out of both. He turned around to see that his sisters were entirely quiet as they watched him, and it suddenly dawned on him that he had walked in on an intense conversation. Maybe Sonya had finally decided to tell the family that she was gay…

"Did I interrupt anything?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest. A drop of water fell from his hair and onto the grey fabric of his shirt as he continued to look at the pair.

"We were talking about you, actually," Viktoria said, picking an apple from the fruit bowl that sat in the middle of the table, "You scared the shit clean out of me when you walked through that door."

"Is there any particular reason that I feature your suspicious looking conversations?"

"Well… technically we were talking about your girlfriend," Viktoria said, "What ever happened to Dimitri '_I don't date'_ Belikov?"

Dimitri groaned. He had come to his old home to rid his mind of the beautiful brunette, and yet even here, she was mentioned. Why couldn't he escape her? Just for once, he wanted to avoid that gut wrenching feeling that he felt whenever she was mentioned—he was a walking juxtaposition; one side, he didn't want to think of her because it caused him pain, but then he _did_ want to think about her…because she filled him with all these great feelings that no other woman had evoked before.

He looked at Sonya who glanced away sheepishly, obviously trying to avoid his angry glare, "I never once called myself…Dimitri 'I don't date' Belikov," He said as he kept his arms folded, "I'll let you finish your conversation, but if you don't mind, keep Rose out of them."

Dimitri walked back into the living room to join his older sister and to help her with her two hectic kids. He loved how small Zoya was, and how she literally fitted into the palm of his hand— for most part of the night he had held onto her, feeding her when she was hungry, watching her as she slept. She was a beautiful little thing, and Dimitri felt a surging urge to protect her. It was late at night when Olena came home, and she immediately began doting on Dimitri like she always had done with her only son—she almost chewed him into a thousands pieces when Viktoria mentioned Rose, though.

"You have a girlfriend?" Olena Belikova asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Dimitri, who still had the small baby in his arms, "Oh, when are we going to meet her?"

Dimitri rolled his eyes at his mother's obvious excitement, "I don't know…" He said, feeling extremely guilty when her expressions dropped in disappointment. He felt bad, because she had always done everything in her power to make him happy—even now, she was on the lookout for Dimitri's shooter. Dimitri just wanted to forget that night, and he definitely wanted the police department to forget about it too—Abe wasn't happy that they kept sniffing around Rose's apartment block, where the shooting had taken place. Yeah, Dimitri was curious of the reason to why the attacker chose to shoot him, who the shooter was and why the person wanted Dimitri dead, but if that meant his occupation became known to the police, he would rather live in ignorance. "We're kind of…I'm not—we aren't talking."

"What?" Sonya choked, leaning forward in shock, "We caught you literally mauling her face in an alleyway last night—" Dimitri ignored the un-amused glance that his mother shot his way, "Why the hell aren't you talking?"

He couldn't exactly turn around and tell his family the real reason that he couldn't speak with Rose, because that probably wouldn't go down well with the Belikova girls. He didn't particularly want to lie to his family, and after a few loud thumps radiating from the ceiling, Dimitri had found his distraction, "Shouldn't you control your son?" He asked his sister. Paul was obviously jumping on the bed, when he should have been asleep. Karolina was already in a crappy mood due to the length of time it took to get her painkillers.

"See, mom!" Karolina said, standing up to walk towards the door, "He's doing it on purpose—it's past midnight and the little pain in the ass still hasn't went to sleep. I ought to send him to his fathers—" The rest of her protests became incoherent as she ran up the stairs to put her son to sleep. Dimitri's eyes met the large clock on the wall which said it was quarter to one in the morning; he begged that Rose had listened to him and that she hadn't left to go to the downtown warehouses—he had an urge to leave, to tell his mother that he had some errands to run but he knew that she had stayed up late to talk to him—he couldn't leave now. Rose wasn't stupid; she would have listened to him, even after a fight.

"Do you mind if I crash here tonight?" Dimitri asked, his eyes finally leaving the clock as he sighed. He looked at his mother, and smiled at the huge grin that spread across her face as she stood up. Sonya took Zoya from Dimitri's arms as Olena hugged her son.

"This is your home, baby," She said, her small body so tiny compared to Dimitri. He hugged her back tightly, "You're welcomed to stay anytime you want. I wish you'd visit more often."

Dimitri swallowed the clump of guilt in his throat as his mother released the hug and yawned, "I'm working the early shift tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep," She said, placing a kiss on her sons cheek, "Your bed is ready and all."

Dimitri smiled at that. Olena, before he had even opened his mouth, knew that he would be staying the night—she just knew him that well. He watched her as she left; her short light brown hair covered half of her tanned, almost-wrinkle-free face as she climbed the stairs. He turned around to see that his two sisters, Viktoria and Sonya were watching him suspiciously. It was palpably obvious that they wanted to ask him about Rose, and he needed to leave before any questions were asked. Thankfully, a loud chain reaction of vibrations buzzed in the pocket of his jeans, indicating that he had a call. He didn't even check the caller ID in rush to get out of the living room. He pressed the black device to his ear and practically ran to the kitchen were he was away from his intrusive sisters.

"Hel—"

"Dimitri!" Tasha's voice screeched through the receiver, and it was obvious that she was crying harshly, the loud sobs roared from her chest, "Dimitri, you have to come home—I— I don't know what t—to do!"

"What?" He asked, panic immediately dominated his body and he held the phone tighter to his ear, "What's the matter?"

"I-It's Rose," She sobbed, "It's Rose—she's—"

"Tasha!" he growled, "Tell me what the matter is!"

"S-she was attacked, Dimitri p-please come home—I don't know what to do!"

* * *

_duh-duh-duuuuuh!_

_Again, thank you Sarah *loves horses* LOL :) and Although Valdeh didn't edit this chapter I want to express my love towards my beta LOL love youuuu Valerie! :)_

_review please :)_

_xoxo_


	17. My deepest apologies, AN

Dear loyal readers, to whom I owe an extraordinaryly large apology,

Right, so you all know the score? Good story, hasn't been updated in over 7 months and so the author has completely given up and won't update ever again...? WRONG! I know I owe you guys a billion, zillion apologies but first, I want to explain myself...

I've been sick, and not the kinda sick where you lie down for an hour, fall asleep and wake up just to realise that everything's okay, because all you have is the cold, and the worst thing that could possibly happen to you, could be that you got snot all over your favourite pyjamas. Nope, I mean I've been extremely, critically ill... and no, it hasn't been pleasant. If any of you are genuinely concerned and would like to know exactly what was wrong with me, please feel free to send me a little mail in here...God, it's been so long since I've actually been here...so I apologise immensely. I know it's no excuse, I could have at least left you guys a little A/N to let you know what was going on, and please believe me when I say I had absolutely no intention of making you wait this long...I just assumed I'd be well sooner than this, but unfortunately for all of you and myself, I haven't gotten better in the pace I would have expected.

I am getting there though, everyday my health is improving and once I am completely better, and once I've finished all my exams that i still have to take! (thank you mother and father, for hiring a tutor, I appreciate it, PS, your daughter who almost died, kiss kiss) I will complete this story, I have not desertated you all :) I fully intend to finish this story, because it's been such an outlet to me, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it even half as much as I enjoyed writing it :)

All I ask of you...is that you bear with me, I cannot promise anything but I will try my absolute hardest, with everything in me and all my power, to have the next chapter completed and posted by...the 30th of June, at the latest. I am so sorry for making you wait even longer, but I can't commit to this story right now, with everything going on. I hope you can accept my deepest apologies and keep the patience you have all had for so long, to remain strong fans of this story...

see you all on the 30th of June

All my love,

Al xoxox


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